The European CREATOR project comes to an end

GAIKER obtains interesting research results and lays the technological foundations for a new automatic waste sorting process for brominated plastic waste.
of brominated plastics

GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, BRTA, has participated over the last four years in the European CREATOR project, which has come to an end with interesting results.

The Centre, as an expert in the automatic identification and separation of materials based on advanced sensorics, has worked on the first stage on waste treatment addressed by the project, the aim of which was to identify and classify plastic waste with brominated additives online by means of laser induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS). The results achieved have been satisfactory since, using this technique, the technological bases have been laid for the development of new classification processes aimed at improving the management of plastic waste containing brominated flame retardant additives.

Furthermore, these developments are intended to make it easier for waste managers to comply with current legislation on the separation of plastics containing substances classified as persistent organic pollutants. Materials containing these substances, when they reach the end of their useful life, must be subjected to appropriate treatment and recovery schemes that allow correct separation for their differentiated and environmentally appropriate management.

About CREATOR

The CREATOR project was created with the aim of developing innovative and viable technological solutions from a technical, economic and environmental perspective to, on the one hand, improve the collection, treatment and recovery of plastics contained in complex waste streams such as waste electrical and electronic equipment from construction and demolition and aviation, and to promote their circularity as new secondary raw materials in applications for the automotive, construction and aeronautics sectors.

As part of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and development programme, this project, which involves entities from seven EU countries, has worked on the development of innovations in the areas of collection and sorting of plastics from waste streams, the removal of brominated flame retardants and the reformulation and production of quality recycled plastics for reincorporation into the value chain.