REVALPET: Upgrading Of Opaque Pet into Innovative Materials
Specific programme: Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A España-Francia-Andorra (Interreg POCTEFA)
UPV/EHU Partner Status: Beneficiary
UPV/EHU PI: Alejandro Müller
Project start: 01/10/2016
Project end: 30/09/2019
Brief description: Recently new plastic bottles for milk have appeared on the market. Once used, its combination with the waste originating from plastic water bottles is problematic as the resulting material is not recyclable. The presence of these new bottles constitutes an important threat to the recycling sector, which is a sector very much represented in the POCTEFA zone. In fact, the territorial representatives of the recycling sector have already confirmed a loss of value in this product. The maintenance and reinforcement of this sector in the POCTEFA zone only occurs through the creation of new opportunities for these products. The strategy of regional intelligent specialization (RIS) of the POCTEFA zone will allow us to confront this challenge through the REVALPET project. A network of industrialists and research groups on both sides of the border will share their expertise related to advanced materials and nanotechnology to develop innovative materials from the waste of these new bottles. REVALPET will manufacture prototype pieces and the pre-industrial evaluation of their performance. We propose the manufacture of saleable materials with high mechanical benefits, which constitutes an important innovation in the recycling sector. Making waste a resource for innovation and added value, REVALPET will contribute to the "zero waste" objective in the regions of the POCTEFA zone for the next decades.