PlastLIFE

PlastLIFE is a broad national collaboration project coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) to promote the circular economy of plastics. The goal is to achieve a sustainable circular economy for plastics in Finland by 2035. LAB University of Applied Sciences is one of the participants in the project with its own sub-project.
Project period
-
Project state
On-going
Project area
International
Project funding
LIFE+
LAB role
Partner
Unit
Technology
Project focus area
Multipurpose materials
Objectives
One of the main themes is to enhance the cooperation of local plastic industry actors by building a regional network of plastic industry players in the Päijät-Häme and South Karelia regions. The task is to strengthen plastic cooperation in the areas and develop the expertise of the local plastic recycling sector.



We encourage the industry to participate in the project so that up-to-date information on the technical and regulatory factors affecting plastic recycling can be quickly communicated to them. An important theme is to help stakeholders develop the value chain, where the value of recycled material is kept as high as possible, plastic waste is reduced, and environmental pollution is thus prevented. We organize various workshops and seminars on current issues for stakeholders.



We also produce study materials and courses for both industry and students. The purpose of the teaching and study materials is to produce expertise and professionals for the field, thereby creating better competitiveness and future professionals for the industry.



In addition, we are developing plastic recycling. LAB University of Applied Sciences has comprehensive equipment for both the production and testing of plastic products. We participate in both chemical and mechanical recycling of plastics in the project together with other project partners.



The aim is to analyze and process plastic fractions collected from at least 12 different sources. We examine and investigate the processability and usability of plastics for both mechanical and chemical recycling. We will publish several scientific publications on the results of the recycling experiments during the project.
Sustainable Development Goals
Project managers
Anna Keskisaari
Researcher
anna [dot] keskisaariatlab [dot] fi