Project description:

Plastics represent both a fantastic resource, but also a large challenge for society. On one hand, modern society cannot live without plastic products. On the other hand, its production from non-renewable resources is not sustainable and a large amount of plastic ends up in polluting the environment every year. The only way to achieve sustainability for plastics is to develop technology for efficient and environmentally friendly recycling. Enzyclic project aim to develop new biotechnology that will allow enzymatic degradation of plastics that currently cannot be recycled biochemically, like polyethylene, polypropylene and polyacrylates.

Norner contribution:

Norner will lead one work package in Enzyclic project. The main purpose of this work package is to develop or modify plastic materials that are susceptible to enzymatic deconstruction/recycling. Norner will further work on the purification and polymerization of monomers and oligomers obtained from enzymatic deconstruction of polymers. The polymeric materials developed in the project will be characterized for chemical, thermal, rheological, morphological, and mechanical properties.

Project Coordinator:

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Project partners:

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Norner Research AS, Bellona, Emballasjeforeningen and Aclima

Norner project responsible:  Ravindra Reddy Chowreddy