In the Netherlands, the government supports initiatives to increase plastics recycling and to research, monitor and reduce microplastics in the environment, with dedicated growth funds.
Circular Plastics NL is an example of such a growth fund. The goal is to make plastics fully ‘circular’, and a grant of 220 million euros has been provided to accelerate this transition. The program will run for eight years and consists of eight program lines - each program line focusing on reducing bottlenecks in a different value chain in order to ‘complete the circle’ for existing plastics.
At Malvern Panalytical, our goals for sustainability align perfectly with these ambitions and we’re keen to see how we can support this sort of work. One of the pillars is 'Characterization, Sorting and Washing', and we're sure we can make a difference with this. We've also been sharing our experiences in developing solutions for international customers and our involvement in Standardization organizations such as ISO and ASTM International. This experience is highly appreciated by Circular Plastics NL.
Circular Plastics NL’s Program Council is the perfect spot to be involved at the forefront of developments in plastics recycling while leveraging our extensive knowledge of the plastics industry and standardization. The Program Council members provide vital liaison with industry, government and knowledge institutions, with each member either representing an industry or participating in the program council in a personal capacity.
- Current Circular Plastics NL Program Council members:
- Drea Berghorst - Director, Plastics Europe
- Jacques Joosten - Chairman of the Board, DPI
- Taco van der Maten - Segment Manager, Malvern Panalytical
- Gerben Meier - Director of R&D, LyondellBasell
- Klaartje Rietkerken-van Gaans - Operational Director, ISPT
- Jan Roos - Director of Sustainability, Teijin Aramid
- Hans Tanger – Director, OPACKGROUP BV
- Bert Weckhuysen – Professor, Utrecht University
- Helene van Zutphen - Director of Innovation, Packaging Waste Fund Foundation
Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) is an initiative within the National Growth Fund. The goal is to make plastics fully circular and use subsidies to accelerate the transition. The program runs for eight years and has eight program lines. The program lines focus on bottlenecks in various value chains to close the cycles for existing plastics, including showcases to realize material and process innovations for circular plastics to work towards 100% circularity in 2050 and to provide sustainable growth opportunities for the Dutch economy. New materials are being developed that can replace materials that are difficult to recycle in the future.Specific cycles can be closed in showcases.