PolyCE Newsletter – April 2018
Join us on our journey towards the circular plastics value chain!
Dear reader,
2018 promises to be a decisive year for plastics. The UN Resolution to eliminate ocean plastic waste, the China ban on imported plastic waste, followed by the EU Commission’s Plastic Strategy are all examples of how institution and governments are taking a stand against plastic waste.
In addition to single-use plastics, which are high on the political agenda, plastics used in electric and electronic products present a complex challenge at their end of life. The UN University estimates that 44.7 million metric tons of electric and electronic waste (e-waste) were generated in 2016 at worldwide level. This is close to the weight of 4,500 Eiffel Towers each year. This amount is expected to increase to 52.2 million metric tons by 2021.
We at PolyCE, a Horizon 2020 project bringing together industry, civil society and researchers, work together to shift the value chain of high-tech plastics from e-waste streams to a more circular approach. We see an enormous opportunity for European businesses to step forward and pull the market towards more sustainable practices by leveraging the Circular Economy of plastics.
We invite experts to get involved and contribute by completing our Circular Economy survey, and subscribing to our expert network.
We hope you enjoy reading our first Newsletter for 2018.
Thank you,
Your PolyCE Team
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Save the Date: PolyCE Plastics Recycling Workshop
PolyCE’s pilot workshop will take place on 26th of June 2018 in Essen, Germany. The event will inform on the project’s current findings towards an effective circularity of high-tech plastics from WEEE along the supply chain, including WEEE treatment, plastics recycling and integration of recycled plastics into new electronic products. We welcome WEEE pre-processors, plastics recyclers and manufacturers interested in integrating recycled plastics into their product to discuss and support the definition of further research steps. To register, and receive further information, please send us an email to info@polyce-project.eu. Spaces are limited.
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PolyCE’s Contribution to EU’s Plastics Strategy, a Reflection Paper
The European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy published by the European Commission on 16 January 2018 sets the vision of “a smart, innovative and sustainable plastics industry, where design and production fully respect the needs of reuse, repair and recycling (…)”. PolyCE will actively contribute to the implementation of this strategy for plastics from e-waste, one of the fastest growing waste streams.
[read more]
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New Business Models Paving the Way Towards More Sustainable Production and Consumption of Plastics
As part of the Horizon 2020 project PolyCE, researchers of the Technical University Berlin, Fraunhofer IZM and University of Northampton have identified five business models which may induce a circular economy for plastics in the electronics industry.
[read more]
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First Successful Steps in Discovering Plastics in E-Waste
As part of the Horizon 2020 project, PolyCE, the teams behind the Italian household appliance recovery and recycling consortium ECODOM, and KU Leuven — University of Leuven are performing sampling operations to discover the plastic composition of electronic waste.
[read more]
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PolyCE General Assembly
PolyCE’s project partners convened for an early 2018 get-together at Ecodom’s premises in Milan, Italy. Strategic planning and brainstorming were fostered by a spirit of cooperation and partnership, albeit the large size of the European consortium (20 partner organisations). Vision was set for the next six months of bringing various actors in the electronic supply chain together and establishing a clearer picture around the challenges and opportunities for businesses and consumers of adopting a circular model for plastics. Taskforces were identified where researchers are to enable businesses to implement and demonstrate circular solutions, and communicators are to include relevant stakeholders in the process. The gathering concluded at the host’s SEVal plant in Colico, near Milan for a practical demonstration of the works behind a top notch Italian recycling facility.
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Newsletter subscription
Please share this newsletter within your network and help us spread the word on our work on enabling recycling of plastics from electronic waste for a more sustainable future.
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Join our expert network
Interested in getting involved and contributing with your relevant expertise? Join our expert network and we will get in touch with you!
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Fraunhofer-Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und Mikrointegration IZM, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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