A loan supported by the InnovFin-EU finance for innovators initiative under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme and extended by the European Investment Bank has helped Dutch 3D printing company Ultimaker strengthen its R&D and release new products. This will add to Ultimaker printers' already wide range of uses which includes making prosthetics and recycling plastic.
An EU and industry funded project has developed game-changing food packaging material that is rapidly biodegradable. The material is a means to replace the plastic packing used for ready meals and reduce pollution.
EU-funded researchers are working on an industrial-grade pilot plant to demonstrate a new way to break down common plastics for recycling. This pioneering process using microwave technology could contribute to Europe's efforts to curb plastic waste.
EU-funded research is developing advanced modelling tools to help assess the full extent of the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and how it is affecting the marine environment. The tools will help policymakers design targeted measures to address a big and growing issue.
An EU-funded project is helping to green the railway sector and promote the circular economy by using sleepers made from recycled plastic and old tyres, which can also incorporate solar panels and smart technology.
Millions of tonnes of plastic waste enter the world's oceans each year, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and contaminating the food chain with toxic compounds. EU-funded researchers are deploying cutting-edge technologies to prevent and mitigate this growing environmental hazard.
Plastics are desirable because they are very durable and resistant to degradation. Plastic waste is undesirable because of these very properties. EU-funded researchers are designing bacteria to efficiently consume plastic waste and turn it into novel destructible plastic - good for the environment and health.
Europe is not doing enough to reduce the energy consumption of its ageing public buildings. An EU-funded project has tested a number of new energy-saving technologies in a school, a university and two hospitals.
Buildings in Spain and Estonia have been fitted with novel construction and insulation materials made from natural fibres and forest waste as part of an EU-funded project demonstrating innovative applications of biocomposites. These materials not only comply with building codes and boost sustainability but also reduce the risk of residents becoming sick.
EU-funded researchers have developed new bio-processes to create high-value chemicals from the waste resulting from bio-diesel production. A true addition to the circular economy, their achievements promise a better and greener chemical industry.
