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Description
In Europe alone more than 24 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year, and the recycling industry is struggling to achieve recycling rates above 35%. New EU directives sets new standards and requirements for recycling of post-consumer packaging and plastics. Furthermore, new regulations requires that 20% of new packaging needs to come from recycled materials. This creates a new market dynamic and provides an opportunity to offer new efficient solutions for collection and sorting of recyclables at source.
This project aims to identify mechanisms for more efficient access to consumer recyclables and accelerate the collection and sorting of post-consumer recyclables in Greece, and to develop a concept for distributing premium quality sorted materials directly for recycling into new secondary premium raw materials.
The project consists in conducting a feasibility study aimed at exploring the potential for incentivised collection of consumer recyclables in Greece, analyse the market, and conceptualise a tailor-made solution and business model for Greece.
The project will lead to a solution for efficient collection of post-consumer recyclables packaging for recycling, based on a cooperation model between private locals and regional and national authorities. The project also include the development of a ground-breaking smart return system, that handles valuable recyclables based on Cycled''s smart collection points.
The donor partner, Cycled, has the technology and Kreta Eiendom has the local know how and expertise to penetrate the Greek market with new and disruptive technologies. The project will also enable a future investment project in a Smart Collection System for consumer recyclables in Greece.
Summary of project results
This project represented a critical step toward solving Greece''s recycling problems, offering a comprehensive solution to its waste management challenges. It aimed to identify the mechanisms for more efficient access to consumer recyclables and accelerate its collection and sorting, as well as distribute quality sorted materials directly for recycling into new secondary raw materials.
The project consisted in establishing an effective waste management system in Greece. This was done by conducting a review of the Greek waste management system and recycling sector in order to understand Greece’s waste management landscape, identifying inefficiencies/critical gaps and areas for improvement, focusing on high-impact material streams, and implementing a financial and operational framework, aimed at improving recycling rates, resource efficiency, and environmental outcomes in Greece.
The project led to a method and solution for how to efficiently collect post-consumer recyclables packaging for recycling, and developed a smart return system that handles recyclables based on the Donor Partner''s smart collection points.
Summary of bilateral results
Through this donor partnership, the promoter was able to network with the Norwegian Cluster, Circular Packaging Cluster, as they provided information useful for this project, especially related to advancing new circular economy and recycling practices, the practice of the extended producer responsibility scheme in Norway, as well as information and insights into new sustainable packaging and recycling innovations.