On December 6th, the Plastic 360º Workshop brought together academia and industry to explore the latest advances in polymer recovery, recycling, and sustainable management. Organized by CICECO researchers Ana M. Ferreira Takahashi, Ana Barros Timmons, Andreia F. de Sousa, and Nuno Gama, the event gathered 110 participants to discuss the path toward effective and economically viable solutions in the field, and how to build significant progress through continuous knowledge sharing and strong cross-sector collaboration.

Ana Takahashi, a researcher at CICECO, highlighted that the workshop stood out “for the high number of participants, particularly the strong presence of companies. It was possible to bring together representatives from the entire plastics value chain, from academia to the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). This diversity allowed for an integrated and in-depth discussion of the main challenges and opportunities in the sector, fostering new partnerships and the sharing of knowledge.”

The initiative included participants from Amorim Top Series, S.A., Ansell, Bondalti, Codil Portugal, COMPOGAL, DESOTEC, DIMERA, EGF, Elastictek, Evertis Packaging Solutions, Micronipol (now Veolia), Microplásticos Group, Mistolin Company, Paralab SA, PIEP - Innovation in Polymer Engineering, RAIZ - The Navigator Company, Simoldes Plastics, vivaLAB, NEUTROPLAST | PORTUGAL, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, ISEP - Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, and Università degli Studi di Padova.

Speakers at the event included representatives from Logoplaste MC AASO, Portuguese Pact for Plastics, Smart Waste Portugal, SDR Portugal, APA - Portuguese Environment Agency, ARCP CoLAB - Polymer Competence Network, Sociedade Ponto Verde, CTCP - Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre, APIP - Portuguese Plastics Industry Association, Certif - Certification Association, and the University of Aveiro.

The conclusions and outputs resulting from the productive day of work were significant, as was the reflection on the main areas needing improvement in Portugal's plastic recycling sector. Ana Takahashi noted that “the main challenge in plastic recycling in Portugal is the mixture of different types of plastics and the presence of contaminants, which makes recycled materials less cost-competitive. Implementing policies to encourage the use of fewer plastic types per product and promote efficient waste separation could improve effectiveness and reduce segregation costs.”

The researcher further emphasized that “while recycling is not yet economically competitive compared to the production of virgin raw materials, Portugal has the technical capacity to tackle these challenges.”

In conclusion, the researcher appealed for urgency in modernizing consumer communication and implementing incentive measures, such as:
(i) simplifying the types of plastics used in products,
(ii) promoting waste separation, and
(iii) developing more efficient recycling technologies.

Additionally, she stressed the importance of standardizing collection, segregation, and recycling processes and costs among municipalities, as well as creating mechanisms to prevent price speculation in waste auctions.