Shen Lab received research grant from CRC-P in plastics recycling

Equipment for the processing of plastic waste in the factory. Image: Shutterstuck (NSSN)

Shen Lab has been awarded a research grant from Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) in the project "Increased recycling of plastics by sensing and treating label contamination", $650,000.

The cooperative partners include Pegras Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, LM Group (Aust.) Pty Ltd, University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, University of Wollongong and NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN).

This project focuses on increased re-use of HDPE plastic. Recycling companies today have problems in recycling HDPE because labels contaminate the mix. HDPE is a high quality material in demand for re-use but under 20% of used HDPE is now recycled. Increasing re-use represents tens of millions of dollars to industry. Shen Lab will work with technology, recycling and manufacturing companies and university experts in sensors, polymers, systems engineering and environmental policy to overcome this problem. CRC-P support will be used to identify a novel way to sense and treat residual contaminants on chips of HDPE in the recycling process.

This will be unique worldwide and designed for industrial use for a broad range of plastics.

 

 
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