| abstract: |
The project's objective is the creation of an innovative process based on modification of recovered fibres to be used to produce new functional packaging products with high level of standardization in EU, reducing the need of the sector for virgin fibres and supporting the competitiveness of the SMEs in EU packaging sector, through:
- study and develop potential treatments for recovered fibre modification capable of improving physical- chemical properties of recycled papers
- select the best fibre modification treatments based on property and recyclability criteria and validate at pilot plant scale
- develop appropriate modification process systems of recovered fibres, explore new possibilities for both cost reduction and quality increase in packaging design and manufacturing with the input of all stakeholders
- implement, demonstrate and validate a pilot plant for fibre modification (energy and raw material efficiency). The plant will be realized with the assistance of SME consortium members
- train the staff of all the participants and disseminate the results to interested packaging SMEs (organize training courses and technical seminars, publish in practical sector journals and brochures and use internet)
- identify new uses of enhanced modified fibre papers by comparing the state-of-the-art and the results of Fibre+ technology in corrugating packaging SMEs
- foster the implementation of the new innovative fibre modification technology in SME users.
It is foreseen that the project will serve to identify the industrial bottlenecks of paperboard SMEs and to establish a channel for them to express their interests and specifications for the new innovative modification process of recovered fibres with criteria of performance and optimisation. The consortium will create a database of characteristics and properties on representative fibre raw materials and products (recovered fibres, grade papers, corrugated board, boxes) for the packaging companies throughout Europe. |
