Imagine a machine that can take a mixed pile of old clothes and plastic bottles and sort them at a molecular level. Instead of just shredding them, it breaks them down into their original building blocks using enzymes and chemistry. This turns trash into pure raw materials that factories can use to make new products, effectively closing the loop on waste.
Current recycling systems cannot handle mixed textile and plastic waste, specifically PET and cellulose blends, leading to landfilling of valuable materials.
An integrated chemical recycling platform including specialized equipment for enzymatic hydrolysis, depolymerization, and purification workflows.
If you are a textile recycler dealing with blended PET and cellulose fabrics that are impossible to separate — this project developed a chemical recycling process that yields high-purity rTA (~98%) and 5-HMF (~99%). This allows you to recover valuable chemicals instead of landfilling mixed waste.
If you are a chemical producer dealing with high costs of fossil-based feedstocks — this project developed a method to produce 5-HMF and Levulinic acid at 98-99% purity from waste. This provides a sustainable, non-fossil source for your production lines.
If you are an insulation manufacturer dealing with a need for sustainable fillers — this project developed a way to turn residual cellulose from the recycling process into pellets and insulation foams. This converts a waste byproduct into a sellable construction product.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or operational costs are not provided, though the project aims to create a profitable solution for waste management.
Yes, the project is preparing a demonstration plant in Slovenia to showcase the fully integrated recycling model and has optimized processes at pilot scale.
The technology utilizes IOS's proprietary processing steps; however, specific licensing terms are not detailed in the project summary.
It is designed to handle complex blends of PET and cellulose, utilizing a sequence of enzymatic hydrolysis, neutral hydrolysis, and purification workflows.
The project period runs from 2023-04-01 to 2025-09-30, with the demo plant currently being prepared.
The project is led by a single Slovenian SME (IOS), which indicates a highly concentrated IP ownership and a streamlined decision-making process. With a 100% industry ratio, the focus is entirely on commercial application rather than academic research, supported by an EU contribution of EUR 2,450,000.
Contact IOS (Institut za okoljevarstvo in senzorje) in Slovenia
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for the OpenLOOP chemical recycling technology.
