Waste management

The goal of this project was to set up a markerbased system for sorting and recycling that involves every stage from packaging development and sorting technology to high quality material reuse. The MaRek project demonstrated the usefulness of fluorescent markers for waste management applications.

revolPET developed a solvolytic recycling process for materials made of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) in multilayer or mixed materials and to carry out experimental trials. Inactive patents for solvolysis of single-variety PET waste formed the basis for this research: those solvolytic processes were be enhanced into a continuous waste treatment concept that can recycle PET waste.

The common element of all investigations in PLASTRAT was the development of solution strategies for sustainable limitation of the spread of plastic residues in the aquatic environment on technical, environmental, scientific and social-ecological levels. The objective consisted of developing a multi-criteria evaluation approach for the environmental compatibility of different types of plastics.