CIRC-PVC

Even today, plastic waste all too often ends up in incineration or landfill, even though it can be used as a raw material for new applications. This is particularly true of PVC, which is used mainly in the construction industry. While the mechanical recycling of PVC is well developed for rigid applications such as window profiles and pipes, there is no technology for recycling flexible applications such as cables, tarpaulins or composite structures such as floor coverings.

CIRC-PVC proposes to develop a technology based on dissolution and extraction, on a prototype scale, as well as a new sorting technology to help separate PVC waste according to its nature. The end product will be R-PVC (recycled PVC, end of waste status).

Subsequent upgrading to an industrial unit with a PVC waste processing capacity of 20 to 40,000 tonnes will supply an R-PVC market estimated at 1.8 million tonnes by 2030.

• Development of a new technology for recycling PVC waste, with separation of composite structures and extraction of prohibited additives, so that PVC can be recycled in the same application.
• Better organisation of worksites to help with the selective collection of plastics and PVC in particular.
• Creation of several dozen jobs in Wallonia.

• Project leader: Inovyn Manufacturing Belgium SA
• Companies: SA Duchene; Vanheede Environmental Logistics; Avient Belgium SA; Rovi-Tech; Ecodec SA
• CRA: Centexbel
• Universities and colleges: : QuantOM (Uliège); PEPs (Uliège)