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REcycling of Complex AHP waste through a first time appLication of patented treatment process and demonstration of sustainable business modeL (RECALL)
Start date: Jul 19, 2012, End date: Jul 18, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

RECALL proposes the first application of a recently proven new recycling process for post-consumer waste of Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP), with improved economic sustainability and replicability in a joint-venture approach between the global leader of AHP products (P&G) and a European network of waste recycling SMEs. AHP is the category name for nappies, sanitary protection pads, tampons, pantyliners, adult incontinence products and establishes one of the most challenging post-consumer waste streams for recycling due to their complex hybrid chemical composition. Up to now all R&D efforts to develop economically sustainable solutions (including by the main proposer) have failed and barriers such as insecure AHP waste streams have hampered market development. Result: over 6.000.000 tons/yr of AHP waste are still incinerated or land filled in Europe. Recent R&D by FATER resulted in a novel more simple and economically viable approach. It introduces a fully newly designed non-contact steam Autoclave process for disinfecting, de-composing and drying post-consumer AHP waste (patent procedure started by FATER). The process has been successfully demonstrated in-house and is ready for a first-in-market commercial application.The objective of RECALL is to overcome market barriers towards market. Specific objectives are to: 1) demonstrate economic and environmental sustainability in a first-time industrial application of the innovative process, 2) securing medium term return-on-investment by preparing and developing the market for take-up, i.e. market testing of new AHP waste collection schemes and business models with municipalities, hospitals and directly with consumers, using innovative eCommerce inspired solutions (fidelity and smart cards), 3) preparing European replication through the geographic mapping of future investment locations as well as developing a receptive network of waste recycling SMEs, to exploit the business model together with the P&G organization.
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