QCP and plastic waste

Belief

QCP was founded with a clear belief to do things differently when it comes to plastics. We saw a wonderful opportunity for the over 25 million tons of used plastics that are being generated in Europe every year, most of which is being landfilled or burned. We want to reduce this pile of waste by reusing it as an alternative to fossil-based feedstock. By doing so, QCP strongly contributes to the circular economy and improves the environmental footprint by saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions. It also responds to the needs of consumers and brand owners who increasingly call for sustainable products.

End of Life?

Plastics are found in virtually everything we use these days. Our food and hygiene products are packed in it. Our car, phone and computer are made of it, so are many more applications and products. Plastics also have a positive effect on the environment since they are light weighted and therefore save energy in transport. When used as insulation they save energy. They reduce food waste by advanced packaging solutions that extend the shelf life.

However, when plastics reach their end of life, they often have a negative impact on our environment. They end up in landfills, beaches, rivers and oceans. On a total European plastics consumption of around 50 million tons per year, more than half of it ends up as waste of which 7.4 million tons are landfilled and 11.2 million tons are incinerated.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of plastic waste and ask for sustainable solutions. Brand owners react to this trend and are looking for partners to co-develop circular products. The European Commission acts by tightening legislation through banning landfill and reducing incineration. This will free up large quantities of used plastics for mechanical recycling.

Circular

Used plastics offer a sustainable route for producing new ‘circular’ plastics in terms of resource efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction and fighting plastic waste.

While most plastics are touted as recyclable, the reality is that they’re down-cycled and used in low-end applications. QCP produces products that can be used in high-end applications by using the latest proven technologies and driving in-house innovations in the field of recipe development, purification and extrusion technology.

Using mechanically recycled polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene) reduces the ecological footprint with up to 75% compared to fossil-based polyolefins.