What we want to accomplish

Advance the Technical and Economic Potential of a Circular Economy for Plastics

Who

ZeroPol connects major stakeholders across the entire lifecycle of plastics, including manufacturers, suppliers, recyclers, industry experts, and government agencies along the plastics value chain.

Why

Extending the usable lifetime of plastics in first-use applications, while increasing second-use opportunities, not only helps minimize the total CO2 footprint of plastic products throughout their lifecycle but also enhances production efficiency by optimizing material usage and reducing waste.

How

Digital technologies, new processes and innovative materials maximize resource recovery and efficiency. This in turn ensures that materials can be reused in future manufacturing processes, preventing plastics from ending up in landfills or disposal facilities without value recovery.

What for

A comprehensive Multi-sided Platform is being developed to foster collaboration and drive systemic change within the Swiss plastic industry. This innovative platform will monitor, analyze, and communicate the benefits of resource efficiency and waste minimization. It aims to enhance operational efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and achieve cost savings for plastics distributors and manufacturers.

Working Packages during the ZeroPol Project

Overview of the subprojects

A total of six technical Subprojects are organized to work on deriving general statements, while six Focus Topics concentrate on specific projects that require detailed expertise. There is strong collaboration between the Subprojects and Focus Topics, ensuring an integrated approach. Additionally, Subproject 1 functions as an overarching body, which interacts closely with all Subprojects to improve operational efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and minimize waste for plastics distributors and manufacturers.

Subprojects of ZeroPol

  • 1

    Multi-sided Platform

  • 2

    Eco-Design tools for product development

  • 3

    Best carbon footprint materials

  • 4

    New process technologies

  • 5

    Re-wiring value chains

  • 6

    Accelerating R-Principles

Focus Topics of ZeroPol

  • 1

    New Compounding machines and applications for polyolefin waste

  • 2

    Expansion of applications for biomaterials produced from waste of food production

  • 3

    From PET-bottles to technical rPET-parts

  • 4

    From textile waste to technical rPET-parts

  • 5

    Sustainable design and material selection for technical devices

  • 6

    Sustainable composites for structural applications

Descriptions

The Multi-sided platform aims to drive a circular economy in the plastics industry by scaling new technologies across the Swiss market through collaboration in cross-functional teams, serving as the systemic backbone of ZeroPol.

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Subproject 2 is developing an eco-design tool to help designers in the plastics industry choose sustainable materials and processes, featuring capabilities to reduce material use, enhance recyclability, and extend product lifespan.

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Subproject 3 aims to develop and evaluate new biobased and recyclable composites that meet high quality standards, enabling manufacturers to produce plastic products with superior environmental performance and reduced CO2 emissions.

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Subproject 4 focuses on innovating plastic manufacturing processes to enhance energy efficiency and minimize waste, incorporating digital twins for optimization, real-time energy monitoring, and new materials integration to significantly cut CO2 emissions.

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Subproject 5 seeks to improve transparency and traceability throughout the plastics value chain by using blockchain technology and advanced data analytics, allowing manufacturers to track materials from production to end-of-life. This ensures compliance and cost reduction through optimized supply chains and material reuse strategies.

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Subproject 6 aims to promote sustainable business models in the plastics industry by developing frameworks and tools that support the implementation of life cycle management and R-principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). The framework thereby fosters innovation and enhancing product sustainability.

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Polymer Recycling

Research Partners

The University of St.Gallen (HSG) is the leading House in the ZeroPol project. An additional 4 Swiss research institutions are involved: The Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), the ETH Zurich, the ร‰cole Polytechnique Fรฉdรฉrale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI). Together, they cover the different disciplines and relevant academic and research institution levels in Switzerland.