The industry is committed to the continuous improvement of its raw materials and products to achieve the objectives of a circular economy and the creation of a loop for the reintegration of materials at the end of their life cycle. By mobilizing key players in the value chain – Kem One, REHAU Window Solutions and Meraxis – and combining their competencies, success is achieved with Kem One as an expert in PVC production and processes including recycling partnerships, REHAU Window Solutions as a polymer specialist with a strong focus on sustainability and Meraxis, part of the REHAU Group, as a leading distributor of polymer and polymer-based products and solutions.
Initial trials at Kem One, Saint-Fons-France, are promising. The chemical and process engineering specialists of all three companies have expanded the trials to a full pilot phase. This stage enables better process optimization and prepares for a future move into the industrial scale of the technology by 2030.
Teams from all three companies regularly work together on the technology to extract heavy metals from PVC, which combines different recycling methods. The innovative approach of chemical recycling is a supplement to the mechanical recycling technique, which leads to better results. Mechanical recycling involves shredding PVC window frames, for example. Chemical recycling then extracts the heavy metals, like lead (Pb) from the PVC. The extracted lead would be then reintroduced into separate, already existing material specific recycling streams. The lead-free recycled PVC can be processed into new recyclate-based window profiles.
Lead is a highly relevant topic, also reflected in EU-wide legislation. Public awareness and efforts to reduce lead exposure are crucial for a sustainable future. This makes these two recycling steps even more important. The development from the early phase to a large-scale industrial solution requires great effort and investment, which is why the project is also dependent on public funding.
This project shows that key stakeholders in the PVC industry are working together to make their materials and products even more sustainable. Kem One, REHAU Window Solutions and Meraxis are leaders in innovation. They all share a common vision of sustainability in their respective activities, and focus on less energy-intensive processes, use of green energy, as well as sustainable purchasing and logistics.
Press contact
Julia Hisge
möller pr GmbH
Tel: +49 (0)221 80 10 87-90
E-mail: jh-NOSPAM-moeller-pr.de
www.moeller-pr.de
