Industry

The project aims to make a significant, transdisciplinary contribution to applied research on the prevention of plastic discharges into water bodies via drainage systems from a behavioural and environmental economics perspective.

This project systematically detects emissions of plastics into wastewater from relevant industries. Emissions levels will be analysed along all points of the value chain (production, transport, processing, and cleaning of synthetic materials).

Since it is technically and economically impossible to reduce the amount of plastic waste in oceans, solutions to cut the entry of such substances into the environment must be developed. Developing countries, however, often lack land-based approaches to such solutions.

solvoPET aims to develop 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 form the basis for this research: those solvolytic processes will be enhanced into a continuous waste treatment concept that can recycle PET waste.