2nd Scenario Workshop “The future of plastics recycling - a sustainable circular system for high-performance plastics”
What role can the R-strategies of the circular economy play in such a system? To what extent do cooperation and circular awareness have an impact? What influence do regulatory aspects such as recycling quotas and financial incentive systems have?
Various experts from the plastics sector discussed these and other questions on 10 October 2024 at Covestro's idea.lab in Leverkusen, Germany, and developed possible future scenarios for the system up to 2050.
Key factors that served as the basis for this workshop were identified with various experts back during the 1st workshop in August 2024. The scenarios are now being elaborated, supplemented and visualised.
Similar workshops will be held in the project's partner regions, the greater Amsterdam area and the Upper Silesia region, to enable a comparative analysis of the results.
17.10.2024
LOOP Webinar
During the LOOP webinar on 24 September 2024 innovations and best practices in the circular economy and sustainability were shared by our sister projects Agro2Circular, EcoeFISHent, and FRONTSH1P and speakers from the Hubs for Circularity Community of Practice and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative.
Jana Wegener from Ruhr University Bochum presented CIRCULAR FOAM's approach to stakeholder engagement in creating a sustainable circular system for high-performance plastics.
The YouTube video of the webinar is available here.
30.09.2024
1st Scenario Workshop “The future of plastics recycling - a sustainable circular system for high-performance plastics”
Which factors could influence and determine such a system was the central question on 29 August 2024 in the idea.lab of our host Covestro in Leverkusen, Germany. It was discussed together with stakeholders in the 1st CIRCULAR FOAM scenario workshop, which was intensively prepared by Ruhr University Bochum with support from DECHEMA.
What could plastics recycling look like by 2050? What are the driving factors that require special consideration? And finally: What would have to happen to create a sustainable and circular system?
Based on the categories of the PESTEL analysis (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal factors), the various experts from the plastics sector identified a wide range of influencing factors that affect the system. These were then weighted in order to identify key factors.
In a second workshop, several future scenarios will be created from the key factors identified. Similar workshops will be held in the project's partner regions, the greater Amsterdam area and the Upper Silesia region, to enable a comparative analysis of the results.
03.09.2024
CIRCULAR FOAM Session at ACHEMA
Exciting developments in chemical recycling processes for the plastics industry were discussed on 11th June 2024 at ACHEMA 2024!
Dorota Pawlucka, Dr. Catherine Lövenich, and Prof. Sebastian Engell shared insights on the CIRCULAR FOAM project, highlighting the importance of building full value chains and systemic circular solutions including recycling technology, waste collection and sorting steps for rigid PUR foams.
Looking forward to seeing how these innovations will shape the future of plastics recycling in Europe!
Here you find the press release on the CIRCULAR FOAM session at ACHEMA.
13.06.2024
Consortium Meeting in Katowice
Last week, we were happy to learn about new results from the CIRCULAR FOAM project and reconnect with our partners! This time, we were welcomed by our partners from Science & Technology Park Euro-Centrum ltd. in Katowice City, Poland, for a meeting with the project consortium. The city is currently undergoing a huge transformation and aspires to be a leader in innovation and new technologies.
After a day of team workshops, we pricked our ears in the plenary session on day two, with updates regarding the development of a rigid polyurethane foam recycling system – including collection, separation and chemical recycling of polyurethane and the purification of the resulting products, but also considering the improvement of product designs for disassembly and recycling, as well as an economically and environmentally beneficial set-up of a regional implementation. The visit ended with a study tour on day 3 to a fridge sorting/dismantling site in Bolęcin, which was very exciting and relevant.
Looking forward to further updates!
03.06.2024
Support the Collection Pilot in NRW!
Exciting news! Starting February 2024, the Interzero group, together with our project team, are initiating a segregated collection of polyurethane insulation materials in the NRW region to gather quantitative and qualitative data on this material flow. (The collection pilot is initially available in specific areas of NRW)
How to participate:
1) Sign up via email:
2) Receive your unique order code.
Let's work together for a sustainable future!
for more information visit https://www.ecoservice24.com/de/de-pu-sammelpilot/
23.01.2024
CIRCULAR FOAM at Transition Finance Event
On 29 November 2023 our coordinator Dorota Pawlucka presented the CIRCULAR FOAM project at the Transition Finance Event in Geleen, The Netherlands, in the session "Closing the plastic loop and its investment gaps - project experiences & perspectives on the investment needs of plastics recycling", chaired by Sebastian Engell.
She presented the PUR waste upcycling system that is developed in CIRCULAR FOAM as an example of the large-scale value chains which are needed to solve plastics recycling problems in an efficient and economically viable manner. Dorota Pawlucka pointed out that solutions must be co-developed between the waste collection and processing sector and the process industries.
The presentation was followed by a lively panel discussion between JP Kuijpers (EMEA region and Eastman), Ian Freelance (SABIC Ventures), Torben Kabbe (Interzero), Jürgen Tiedje (EC) and Dr. Torsten Heinemann (Covestro) about the current state of recycling technologies and strategies towards investment. The session also featured presentations by Henk-Jan Vink (TNO) and Lia Voermans (Brightlands Circular Space).
01.12.2023
CIRCULAR FOAM at Circular Week
We had the privilege of presenting CIRCULAR FOAM at the Circular Week! We brought together industry experts, project representatives, and administrative bodies to discuss and shape the future of the circular economy and sustainability at the Mazovia Conference on 25 October 2023. Our focus was on "Cooperating and Stimulating Local Communities to be Part of the Circular Process," and it's safe to say that the topic resonated with many. We received fantastic feedback from the audience, and we're thrilled to have welcomed new faces who were previously unfamiliar with our project.
On Thursday we continued the Circular Week with a discussion on the implementation of circular economy in Europe's regions at our webinar with Agro2Circular, FRONTSH1P and EcoeFISHent of the LOOP Cluster. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/edtVAZWC
Thank you to all who participated and contributed to the success of our events. Let's continue working together to drive positive change and build a more sustainable world.
31.10.2023
CIRCULAR FOAM Project meeting
We are looking back on a successful CIRCULAR FOAM Project meeting on 12-14 September 2023 – this time in beautiful Amsterdam. We enjoyed a site visit to Amsterdam CTPark City Logistics Hub and had fruitful discussions on our work progress on the design for recycling, the collection, sorting and treatment of PU waste, chemical recycling, the integrated system analysis and the design and regional implementation of the circular concepts.
19.09.2023
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CIRCULAR FOAM feature in the Green Deal news
Read more about the circular future of the Silesia region, one of the three model regions in CIRCULAR FOAM, and our part in the New Economy Forum that took place in May 2023 this year in Katowice, Poland. As one of the projects of the European Commission's Green Deal programme, CIRCULAR FOAM aims to create a systemic solution with an indication of the potential for its large-scale use based on case studies conducted in three industrial regions in Europe.
10.08.2023
EU Green Week - LOOP Partner event
It was great to meet our sister projects FRONTSH1P, Agro2Circular and Horizon 2020 EcoeFISHent project in Brussels in the EU Green Week on June 6th. We discussed circular solutions for regional transformation towards circularity and further collaboration activities. Sebastian Engell from University of Dortmund and Patryk Białas from the Park Naukowo-Technologiczny Euro-Centrum presented CIRCULAR FOAM's approach to a circular value chain for PU rigid foams and stakeholder involvement.
12.06.2023
New Economy Forum 2023
Bringing together regional key actors from politics, industry, society, and science is a vital step towards economic changes and a shift to green production technologies. During the 18th New Economy Forum that will took place on May 22nd-23rd at our partner Park Naukowo-Technologiczny Euro-Centrum, our coordinator Dorota Pawlucka presented CIRCULAR FOAM and discussed our approach to circular value chains with local stakeholders. We delighted about the results of the organised workshops, that brought together students from different fields of study to work on business models in recycling technologies for the Katowice region.
Watch the video to the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3PVj2jOeJY
05.06.2023
Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
We are happy to share that our project coordinator Dorota Pawlucka will be presenting CIRCULAR FOAM at the Conference on “Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment” in Uniejów, Poland tomorrow, 29th March 2023. The event is in Polish.
More information here: https://zsee.abrys.pl/
28.03.2023
Hubs4Circularity - Community of Practice
Knowledge Plattform now online
To create a regional circular economy, CIRCULAR FOAM aims to bring together all stakeholders of the value chain. A good opportunity to connect with experts and innovators working on circular economy is the new Hubs4Circularity – Community of Practice Knowledge Platform. Stakeholders all over Europe have signed up to support dynamic collaboration and to gather knowledge and best practices on circular economy and industrial symbiosis.
Register here to join the community
22.03.2023
CIRCULAR FOAM project meeting
How are refrigerators produced? And how can production be made more sustainable? The CIRCULAR FOAM consortium discussed these questions with focus on the insulation foams at our project meeting in Porcia, Italy, last week. Many thanks to our partner Electrolux S.p.a., who also showed us their production facility in Susegana.
20.02.2023
pictures © Electrolux Italia S.p.a.
Horizon Europe Info Day 2023
On January 12th the National Contact Point for Horizon Europe organized an information day in Warsaw, Poland to raise awareness for the programme. Our partner IZNAB Sp. z o. o. presented CIRCULAR FOAM to regional companies as well as scientific and administrative institutions and discussed our ideas and solutions with interested stakeholders.
19.01.2023
picture © IZNAB Sp. z o. o.
Regional Readiness in the model regions
To create a regional circulareconomy, CIRCULAR FOAM is focusing on three model regions where we are developing strategies to bring together all relevant stakeholders in the value chain. In late November, we met in our pilot region at Ruhr University Bochum's CURE - Centrum für Umweltmanagement, Ressourcen und Energie to discuss our draft report on regional readiness. Comparing the similarities and differences between our regions of Greater Amsterdam, Upper Silesia, and Rhinisches Revier will help us draw conclusions regarding common barriers and supporting factors for developing strategies to create Hubs4Circularity and a closed loop for polyurethane.
14.12.2022
picture © CURE - Centrum für Umweltmanagement, Ressourcen und Energie
Circular Week 2022
We presented CIRCULAR FOAM at the Mazovia Circular Congress 2022 on 06.10.2022 in Warsaw, the highlight of the Circular Week 2022 in Poland. It aimed to promote the idea of a circular economy, support sustainable business models and establish cooperation between interested stakeholders. Our regional partners IZNAB and the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business had the great opportunity to discuss our project with many interested stakeholders.
10.10.2022
picture © IZNAB Sp. z o. o.
Interview with Dorota Pawlucka in K-MAG
To reach our goal of a climate-neutral Europe in 2050, we still have many challenges to overcome. In this interview in K-MAG, our coordinator Dorota Pawlucka explains how CIRCULAR FOAM offers a systemic solution to address these challenges through circular economy.
https://lnkd.in/ePpRJPir
14.09.2022
picture © Covestro Deutschland AG
3. Consortium Meeting
From 31.08. - 01.09.2022 all CIRCULAR FOAM partners met for the 3rd progress meeting at Covestro in Leverkusen, Germany. We enjoyed meeting everyone in person and having the opportunity to visit Covestro's labs and PU facilities. Thanks to everyone for two great days!
09.09.2022
photo © Covestro Deutschland AG
Blueprint model
Imke Rhoden and her team at Forschungszentrum Jülich (IEK-STE) are working in CIRCULAR FOAM on a blueprint model that will enable the circular economy of rigid polyurethane foams in different European regions.
You can find more infos about the blueprint and the role of Forschungszentrum Jülich in the effzett magazine: https://lnkd.in/eTMFDUvw
or in this blog post: https://lnkd.in/egZ5xapC
02.08.2022
photo © Covestro Deutschland AG
Analysing the pilot regions
In June 2022, our working group targeting the regional transformation met at Wroclaw University of Economics and Business. They analysed "the status quo" of our circular value chain in our pilot regions: Rheinisches Revier (DE), Greater Amsterdam (NL) and Silesia (PL). We look forward to working together towards a circular economy.
22.06.2022
photo © Wroclaw University of Economics and Business
IFAT 2022 Munich
Chemical recycling is on the rise. At IFAT (30.06.-03.06.2022), DECHEMA presented our CIRCULAR FOAM approach for the recycling of rigid foams. Exciting how many people are interested in circularity and recycling!
06.06.2022
photo © DECHEMA e.V.
LOOP-Cluster
We have formed the LOOP cluster together with our sister projects Agro2Circular, FRONTSH1P and ECOFISHENT. Join us on 24th May 2022 to discuss circular solutions for cities and regions! Register here for the hybrid event: https://lnkd.in/dFqqtQ68.
16.05.2022
2. Consortium Meeting CIRCULAR FOAM
On 22. - 23. March 2022 the CIRCULAR FOAM consortium will meet again to discuss our progress and first results. We are looking forward to exchanging ideas and moving on to a circular economy.
19.03.2022
