NaKuRe

Project description

The NaKuRe project focuses on modeling of extrusion-based recycling processes of mixed plastics (MoRe), holistic LCA-based consideration of plastic recycling (HoKu) and coating-based barrier solutions with plastics (BeBa). The use and production of recyclates with extrusion-based recycling processes, especially from mixed plastic waste materials, will be improved by this project.

As part of the FTI-project NaKuRe, the main tasks in the HoKu sub-project are the development of methods and tools for the life cycle assessment of plastic products as well as the development of approaches for recycling- and resource-efficient design of plastic packaging products in the sense of a circular economy.

In addition to the technical properties, a wide variety of requirements are imposed on plastic products and the materials used, mostly due to ecological considerations. Furthermore, the legal regulations in this field are currently undergoing massive changes. This challenges the plastics industry to develop new products and technologies for production and recycling. Therefore, adapted lifecycle assessment models should be used to estimate the probability of success for achieving the required properties of new plastic packaging early in the development process. These models should be able to map environmental aspects, carbon dioxide reduction during production and the recyclability of the products.

This project is financed by research subsidies granted by the government of Upper Austria.