Chemical-based technology has big impact on PET recycling

Europe – DEMETO is the name given to a new European project focusing on the chemical recycling of coloured PET bottles. DEMETO proposes ‘the industrialisation and demonstration at full scale’ of a new process which allows the chemical recycling of PET bottles, food containers and even textiles ‘in a highly profitable and environmentally sustainable way’, explains Maurizio Crippa, ceo of gr3n, one of the project stakeholders.

The company claims to have invented DEMETO’s core technology, which enables an effective process intensification of the depolymerisation reaction (hydrolysis) of plastic – ‘from bottles as much as from any other source, leading it back to its building blocks (EG and PTA) and, consequently, allowing their full reintroduction directly at the virgin-grade production stage’.

‘DEMETO’s technology, once successfully implemented, would allow the closing of the recycling loop for PET, with a potential impact on the environment and society at large that would be enormous, introducing the concept of full circular economy in the plastic domain,’ comments Franco Cavadini, cto of stakeholder Synesis.

The DEMETO project has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.