Toward meeting the EU goal of doubling output of recycled plastics by 2020, waste management specialist Suez Environnement (Paris / France; www.suez-environnement.com) plans to double its own output and is looking for partners in industries that are major consumers of plastics to help develop custom solutions for producing high quality recycled plastics. By integrating recyclate into their production chain, manufacturers can increase competitiveness, anticipate the dwindling supplies of virgin materials and meet their customers’ growing expectations for green product ranges, the French company said.

Developmental work will be carried out in the new recycling laboratory, PLAST’lab, Suez is opening at its main research centre in Le Pecq / France. The lab will undertake to analyse, test and classify plastic materials with an eye to developing custom products that fit the user’s portfolio. The company said its new facility is unique in that it will seek to source the required materials and optimise their formulation as regards impact- and heat-resistance, along with other properties.

Citing the “Circular Economy Package” proposed by the European Commission, Suez said only 25% of the 25 m t of plastic waste created in the EU every year is recycled. This is why it is “placing the circular economy at the heart of its strategy and innovating to speed up the recycling of plastics and meet the needs of manufacturers more effectively,” said CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade.

Through its recycling subsidiary Sita, which has subsidiaries in several European countries, Suez already claims to have capacity for sorting and preparing more than 400,000 t of plastics waste annually and recycling 135,000 t of this in its nine specialised plants. “By focusing on plastic recycling, we are confirming our role as a key player in the achievement of Europe’s targets,” Chassade said.