Imagine taking old cardboard and plastic trash and using special enzymes—like nature's tiny scissors—to chop them up into basic building blocks. These blocks are then rebuilt into stretchy, rubber-like plastics that can be recycled forever without losing quality. It is like turning a disposable plastic bottle into a high-end car part that never has to end up in a landfill.
Current elastomeric plastics are difficult to recycle and rely on fossil fuels, leading to massive landfill accumulation and high environmental costs.
A platform of Recyclable Elastomeric Plastics (REP) and a scaled-up enzymatic process to convert paper and cardboard waste into polymer building blocks.
If you are a car parts manufacturer dealing with hard-to-recycle rubber components—this project developed REP polymers that provide tuneable elastomeric properties. This allows for the production of high-value interior or engine parts that can be indefinitely recycled.
If you are a building materials supplier dealing with non-biodegradable sealants or gaskets—this project developed a platform of waste-based polymers. These materials offer controllable degradation in different habitats, reducing long-term environmental liability.
If you are a consumer goods brand dealing with plastic waste regulations—this project developed a way to use post-consumer waste as raw materials. This creates a circular loop where your products are made from waste and can be fully recovered.
The REP polymers are designed for production, processing, and recycling on existing equipment, which avoids the need for huge CAPEX investments.
Based on available project data, an enzyme-based process to degrade paper and cardboard waste into sugars has been optimised and scaled up.
Based on available project data, the project is currently in the research and development phase (2022-2026) and specific licensing terms are not yet listed.
The project follows a Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSBD) approach to mitigate environmental impacts and contribute to policy recommendations for the circular economy.
The project period runs until 2026-08-31, suggesting that full commercial deployment would follow the conclusion of these activities.
The consortium is highly industry-oriented with a 33% industry ratio, comprising 12 partners across 9 countries. With 8 SMEs, including two start-ups, the group is structured for agility and commercial translation, bridging the gap between 4 universities and end-users in the automotive and construction sectors.
Contact BIO BASE EUROPE PILOT PLANT VZW in Belgium
Contact us to connect with the REPurpose consortium for pilot integration.
