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SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS

Sustainable Plastics

SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS Project aims to establish itself as a Mobilizing Agenda for Sustainable Plastics in Portugal, capable of driving the sector’s transition towards a circular economy. The goal is to mobilize the private sector along with national authorities, public universities, and civil society, thereby contributing to the objectives of the European Circular Economy, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving resource efficiency, and creating employment opportunities.

It is structured into a total of seven Work Packages (WPs) and 14 processes, Products, and Services (PPSs), and its strategic objectives are:

Change the specialization profile of the national economy by implementing higher value-added activities with a focus on international markets;
Introduce new products (goods and services) or innovative processes with a high degree of innovation and differentiation compared to the current ones;
Increase exports of goods and services, making a significant contribution to European technical and technological sovereignty;
Increase the use of recycled/reused materials in production processes;
Reduce CO2 emissions from a traditionally carbon-intensive industry, following the trajectory established by the PNEC 2030 (National Plan for Energy and Climate) and RNC 2050 (Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy).

Website: Sustainable Plastics

Main Goals/Activities

Outlined technical objectives:

Increase the circularity and efficiency of the plastic resource;
Design and develop materials with enhanced separation and recycling properties;
Design and develop products that encourage and promote reuse;
Design and produce plastics and needs of reuse, repair and recycling;
Utilize plastic waste as a resource for closed-loop systems;
Develop replacement solutions that extend the lifespan of plastic articles;

Incorporate alternative raw materials in plastic production;
Define actions of life cycle assessment for the use of biodegradable or compostable plastics.

CeNTI has an active role in PPS1 – New Raw Material, within WP1: Circularity by Material Design, focusing on the development of raw material 100% free from fossil-origin plastics. This includes incorporating at least 30% organic fillers derived from corn biorefinery products and at least 70% recycled plastics or biodegradable polymers, for subsequent production of cups and/or dishes by injection.