Cabka (Berlin / Germany; www.cabka.com) has set up a research centre at the Technological Park Paterna in Valencia / Spain. This measure is to bundle the German plastic recycler’s innovative resources spread over its various sites and intensify its development of new technologies.

The core topics at Cabka's innovation centre, occupying an area of 800 m², are product development and process automation, with a focus on material development. Internal process technology is also a key area of work.

Stressing the urgency of grappling with the challenge of converting waste into raw material for high-quality products, Cabka cited Germany as an example where around 60% of plastic waste comes from consumer packaging. It said the worldwide recycling quota of packaging waste from films is only 1.5%.

The German company had chosen Valencia because it already has a sales office there. It could also collaborate with the Polytechnic University of Valencia on research projects and promote young talent.

Cabka employs more than 700 people at eight locations in the US and Europe. Recycled plastics from consumer packaging waste is one of the basic commodities it uses to make products from recovered materials.