The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), responsible for managing the LIFE programme, has approved the LIFE4FILM project (Post-Consumption Film Plastic Recycling From Municipal Solid Waste), coordinated by FCC Medio Ambiente (the Spanish brand for FCC Environment), with the purpose of preventing plastic film, also known as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), present in solid urban waste from being sent to landfills or waste-to-energy plants. This action will be rolled out in Granada (Spain), with the implementation of an innovating recycling process at a semi-industrial scale, through a recovery line with a capacity of 10,000 t/year, which will be managed by FCC.

The grant agreement signed with the EASME will cover almost 44% out of a total budget of €4.54M. The project is expected to start imminently and it will have a two-year duration.

The goal of the project is to increase the plastic film recycling rate by 62% for all plastic film in urban waste, including its recycling and its incorporation as a secondary raw material when manufacturing new industrial products accepted by the market, all as part of the circular economy concept.

AIMPLAS, the Technology Institute of Plastics and the University of Granada also participate in this LIFE Environment and Resource Efficiency initiative. In addition, it is expected that new members will join the initiative soon.

Description of the process

The project will develop a new integrated plastic film recycling technology, based on the low carbon economy and with more sustainable waste treatment processes.

A pre-industrial plant will be implemented for the plastic film recycling process, which will perform the optical sorting, washing, extrusion and effluent treatment processes.

In addition, this project will lead to the creation of jobs associated with the implementation of this technology, as well as an increase in the competitiveness of the waste treatment sector, the dissemination of results at European Union level and locally, with specific communication actions, and the carbon footprint of the plastic manufacturing industry will be reduced. In addition, the LIFE4FILM solution will be included in the document "Best Available Techniques Reference Document for Waste Treatment Industries (BREF)".

Through this project, FCC Environment is reinforcing its commitment to fighting climate change and to the transformation into a circular economy society. Between 2013 and 2017, the actions carried out to fight against Greenhouse Gases (GHG), mainly in relation to the recovery of biogas in waste, have avoided the annual emission of 1,150,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to planting 4.6 million trees, or to neutralising the emissions of a city of 350,000 inhabitants.

About the LIFE Programme

The LIFE Environment and Climate Action Programme is a financial instrument of the European Union that focuses on the environment over the 2014-2020 period. Its main goal is to act as the catalyst for the changes in the development and application of policies by providing new solutions and best practices, with the purpose of achieving the environmental and climate objectives, as well as of promoting innovating technologies associated with the environment and climate change.