Cutting Waste

Recycling targets across the EU have been increased, the aim is now 55 % by weight from 2025, and 65 % for packaging waste. The target climbs every 5 years after that. Can we reach that goal? Repurposing, repairing, recycling – our three guests are doing their bit to get there. Tim Gent is the managing director of Recresco, the British glass recycling company behind the OMR project. The company is using X-ray fluorescence, shape recognition and machine learning to make recycling more efficient. Tim’s interest is in how to make the circular economy more of a reality. The commercial managing director of the Spanish company, Plastic Repair Systems, Alfredo Neila worked on the PRS project, which repairs industrial plastic objects, such as crates and pallets, making repair more financially viable than throwing them away. Pablo Martínez is one of the brains behind Smartmushroom which has come up with a new way of treating the waste produced by the mushroom growing sector, transforming it from environmentally challenging by-product to valuable resource. For more info on the projects featured, visit: https://europa.eu/!tX7t4W