New waste chair launched on recycling of plastic waste
The new Chair in Dissolution Recycling of Plastic Waste has been officially launched at Ghent University. Funded by the Province of Zeeland and PSLoop, the chair brings together science, industry, and policy to develop innovative solutions for plastic waste and build circular value chains.
Wat is dissolution recycling? What is dissolution recycling?
Plastic can be recycled in various ways, each with its own complementary application:
- Mechanical: plastic waste is sorted, washed, shredded, and remelted into new, but often lower-quality plastic products, so the quality often deteriorates.
- Chemical: complete breakdown into building blocks, but energy-intensive and with lower yield.
- Dissolution recycling: plastic is dissolved in a solvent, removing contaminants and additives. The polymers remain intact and produce a high-quality plastic stream that is very similar to new plastic, with lower energy consumption and higher efficiency.
The role of Smart Delta Resources
Smart Delta Resources represents the voice of industry in the North Sea Port area and, at the request of the Province of Zeeland, is part of the steering group for the waste chair. In addition to SDR, the Delta Climate Centre will also join the steering group at the request of the Province of Zeeland. In this way, not only is academic knowledge developed and safeguarded, but practical solutions are also found that can be applied by companies on both sides of the border.
The chair complements the Circular C project,in which SDR is working with partners to build a cross-border circular carbon economy. This creates a solid basis for converting plastic waste into raw materials and developing international value chains.
Objectives of the chair
The chair focuses on:
- Strengthening research: Ghent University pools expertise with a specific focus on dissolution recycling
- Industrial upscaling: SDR and partners provide support in the search for practical implementation.
- Knowledge sharing: disseminating insights to industry, government, and citizens.
- Regional anchoring: building circular value chains and strengthening local labor potential.
With the Zeeland region and North Sea Port as a breeding ground for circular innovation, this chair offers a unique opportunity to bring science and industry closer together. Smart Delta Resources sees this as an important step in accelerating the transition to a sustainable, circular economy.
More information via our partner Ghent University
