Is it possible to produce plastics for landscaping from bio-based polymers? Can prod-ucts be manufactured without environmental problems and with controlled degradation? Fraunhofer CCPE is precisely addressing these questions, which are important for a wide range of commercial products, in its new research focus ‘Sustainable geosynthetics for landscaping’.

From June 10 to 14, 2024, our specialists will use our exhibit at ACHEMA 2024 to show how innovative and sustainable materials can be designed for use in complex environments. Geosynthetics are already being produced for various applications based on renewable raw materials, both biopolymers and natural fibres, for example. The aim here is to fulfil challenging requirements not only initially, but also over a predefined period of use, while at the same time being completely biodegradable for many applications. The Fraunhofer CCPE has many years of experience with biopolymers such as polylactide (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS), as well as with all the necessary pro-cess steps with a focus on the production of high-quality fibres from PLA and PBS. These are flanked by studies on time-defined degradation in soils and aquatic environments as well as ecotoxicological assessments of the new developments in order to ensure rapid transfer to application.

Fraunhofer CCPE will also be exhibiting ‘Advanced Recycling’ at ACHEMA. It is often a challenge to find the right process for waste that is difficult to recycle. With the CCPE recycling cascade for plastic waste, which consists of a combination of three innovative Fraunhofer technologies, high-quality plastic recyclates with optimised product yields can be produced. This waste includes, for example, mixed packaging waste, shredder residues or composite materials that can no longer be recycled using conventional me-chanical processes. The input materials are pre-sorted and then treated using a combination of three innovative recycling technologies: solvent-based process, solvolysis and iCycle® process.

Fraunhofer CCPE

The transformation from a linear to a circular plastics economy can only succeed with a multi-stakeholder approach. The Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Econ-omy CCPE combines the competencies of six institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and cooperates closely with partners from industry. Together, we work on systemic, technical and social innovations and keep an eye on the entire life cycle of plastic prod-ucts.

The following research institutes have joined forces under the leadership of the Fraun-hofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT: the Fraun-hofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, the Fraun-hofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV and the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF.