SESSION F04 / 14 ottobre 2025 / 11:00 - 12:30
Workshop: Circular plastics and advanced composites
Chair / Presidente: Florian Part (IT)
The use of circular plastics is vital in enhancing the recyclability of plastics and reducing reliance on primary and fossil-based materials. To ensure the success of the circular economy in the future, it is essential to develop advanced plastics and polymer composites that can be kept in circulation, in addition to implementing more efficient waste collection and recycling systems for commodity plastics. Plastic products with minimal mechanical requirements, such as single-use packaging, already have established collection and recycling pathways in place to minimise material loss. In some instances, the use of biodegradable materials can substitute for commodity plastics. These advanced plastics can be collected as biowastes and processed using biological waste treatment processes, thereby reducing the environmental impact and addressing the issue of littering. In contrast to widely used commodity plastics, engineering plastics often require high thermal, chemical or mechanical stability for specific applications, such as in the electronic or mobility sectors. These properties are achieved by fillers and additives (plastic compounding), which increases the complexity of the plastics, often resulting in composites. These engineering plastics are primarily thermally treated at the end of their lifecycle (waste-to-energy), as the separation and recycling of their components poses significant challenges. To address these challenges, the so-called ’safe and sustainable by design’ (SSbD) principle has been proposed. This principle, endorsed by the European Commission, aims to enhance safety through chemical risk assessment and to boost sustainability, ensuring that novel products entering the EU market are safe and environmentally sound. Furthermore, the SSbD principle encourages the development of circular business models, which are essential for ensuring the economic sustainability of advanced plastics. During the workshop, we will introduce the SSbD principle, which incorporates fundamental concepts such as green chemistry, quality by design, and design for recycling, along with other design principles. Following this introduction, we will present two case studies: one on the design and testing of compostable packaging materials and the other on bio-based epoxy systems suitable for use in the automotive and aerospace industries, which are designed to be chemically recyclable. These innovative design strategies will enable us to achieve closed-loop recycling and reduce the thermal utilisation of plastic waste. Finally, we will conclude the workshop with a discussion on the barriers and drivers for such novel circular business models.
