What can we do to give a second life to the wasted plastic? How can we make the wasted plastic circular?

Background

The Plastic Injection mould industry is very important to the central region of Portugal, not only in terms of its economic and social impact, but also as a leading innovative technological sector that supports many others, such as, the automotive, electrical components, appliances, civil construction, garden, agriculture.

The mould industry is facing many challenges to respond positively towards a more sustainable environment. On the top of its core business, i.e. the mould production, companies are enlarging the value chain forward, towards the production of plastic products. This is the case of Erofio Atlântico, a plastic injection company that belongs to the Erofio , an Engineering and mould maker company.

Challenge

How to incorporate the Circular Economy principles by understanding how the plastic wasted in the production process can gain a new life, either by being a raw material of a new company product, or by being incorporated in other industry/sector value chain. How to give products, a new life through plastic waste reduction and recycling?