EU legislation requires 50% of packaging to be recycled by 2025. By 2030, all new packaging must contain 10-35% recycled content. In addition, from 2030, textile materials must be free of harmful substances. Recyclers will also have to specify when a product is considered waste and when it is reclassified as a raw material.
For textile, plastics and recycling companies to meet the European Commission's ambitious targets, they must have the guarantee that their products do not contain banned substances at end-of-life, still meet the required product properties and do not cause bad odour.
The legislation forms part of the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan and is intended to reduce environmental impact, support sustainable growth, and encourage a shift away from the use of virgin materials (Environment) (ESG Today) (euronews).
Centexbel supports companies by creating a dedicated laboratory space with the necessary equipment that allows us to test End-of-Life materials for odour and for the presence of harmful substances and degradation products formed during production or use that lead to inferior properties and thus an inferior product.
The ST4Rlab enables the recycling of more products into high-quality products (no downcycling) and the reduction of the use of new raw materials. For companies, this means a valuable new revenue stream from the valorisation of their industrial and consumer waste, which benefits their business.
Acknowledgements
The establishment of this new laboratory is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and co-financed by the Province of East Flanders.
