Plastics Waste & Recycling
Plastics recycling and waste management are two of the pressing matters inside the Circular Economy and sustainability concerns. Several widespread myths hinder a facts-based discussion and consequent proper decision-making in the area. More than ever, there must be a dynamic connection between academic knowledge and real-world needs.
The Polymer Processing Research Centre (PPRC) at Âé¶¹Íø has been at the forefront of developments in addressing the challenges of plastics waste and helping the industry find innovative solutions towards recycling.
Our R&D laboratory facilities encompass the major plastics manufacturing processes, and employs a team of full-time technical staff offering the services of material characterisation and testing, process optimisation, polymer and process development, pre-production trials, process troubleshooting, product/process design and simulation, and training programmes for industry and academic researchers in the principles of polymer science and engineering, coupled to hands-on practical experience of polymer processes and test methods.
We work in a variety of research projects involving recycled plastics and polymer waste, some of them from major national research programmes dedicated to solving the challenges of Plastics Waste and the Circular Economy:
- (Innovate UK - £500k) - Novel use of hard to recycle plastics in rotomoulded applications
- ACCEPT Transitions (EPSRC - £1m) - Advancing Creative Circular Economies for Plastics via Technological-Social Transitions
- Pitch2Panel (Innovate UK - £168k) - Convert waste synthetic-turf into panelling to be used in pitch side back and kick boards
- Plastic blocks with unconventional waste materials - (EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account EP/R511602/1 - £27,8k) – Builds upon and increases the ACCEPT project's potential impact, producing plastic blocks with unconventional waste materials and explore possible applications as prospective products.
