The third edition of PLASREC, the International Plastic Recycling Seminar organised by AIMPLAS, will bring more than one hundred and fifty industry specialists to Valencia on 10–11 December. Over two days, the forum will examine the regulatory, economic and technological forces shaping the plastics recycling sector, with more than 20 presentations and a parallel innovation challenge for university students.
AIMPLAS said the event has consolidated its role as a reference point for debate on circular-economy strategies and the technical barriers affecting recycling markets. This year’s programme combines legislative analysis, market outlooks, and advances in mechanical, chemical and enzymatic recycling.
The seminar will open with a session focused on the economic and legal context, featuring presentations on geopolitics and waste flows by Nicolás Molina (FER), the global recycling outlook by Óscar Hernández (ANARPLA), and tyre recycling under the Green Deal by Ettore Musacchi (ETRA). Ángela Osma (ANAIP) will address the new packaging regulation centred on recyclability and recycled content, followed by Irene Mora (Plastics Europe), who will outline competitiveness challenges facing the European plastics industry.
Waste collection and sorting will be the focus of the second session. Contributions include the application of artificial intelligence to waste management by Roberto Paredes (SOLVER IA), computer-vision classification of footwear waste by Daniel Carrero (PICVISA), and an assessment of synthetic fibres in textiles from Marc Puyuelo (COLEO). A representative from Griñó will close the block.
Mechanical recycling technologies will occupy the late-afternoon session. Adrián Morales (AIMPLAS) will set out current challenges and trends, followed by developments presented by Ángel Martínez (ACTECO). Vincent Rerat (BRÜGGEMANN) will examine post-consumer PP/EPDM recycling, while José Antonio Alarcón (PETCORE) will detail the multilayer tray delamination protocol developed alongside AIMPLAS. The first day will conclude with the presentation of winning proposals from the PlastiGO Hackathon, an interdisciplinary competition held in parallel with the seminar.
The second day will turn to solutions for complex waste streams, beginning with an overview of chemical and enzymatic recycling. Santiago Llopis (AIMPLAS) will introduce the block with sector-wide trends, followed by a review of pyrolysis limitations and improvement pathways from Richard Aceituno (GSF). Irene Méndez (ENTZIMATIKO) will showcase a biological depolymerisation technology that requires no solvent-based pretreatment. Hernán Calvo (Plastic Energy) will highlight the role of chemical recycling in circularity, before Jorge Ávila (MODUS) presents the FOAK industrial project for chemical recycling of plastics and textiles in Spain.
Advanced recycling technologies will be explored in the next session. Oliver Dietrich (MESSER) will describe the use of liquid nitrogen in rubber and plastics recycling, Carles Gómez (PROMAK) will assess the contribution of twin-screw extruders to improving recycled polymer quality, and Peter Kolbe (Kubota Brabender) will discuss dosing strategies for heterogeneous recycled plastics. Bárbara Franch (UBE) will present case studies on PE/PA recycling.
A final block will examine sector-specific approaches to meeting recycling targets. José David Allo (TEXFOR) will consider opportunities and constraints in textile recycling; Paula Quintanilla (SOSTENPLAS) will cover circularity in WEEE plastics; and Juan Antonio Ruiz (Antolín Ingeniería) will outline plastic recovery in the automotive sector. Helena Abril (AEMAC) will address recyclability in the wind-energy sector, challenging the perception that composite materials cannot be recovered.
Alongside the conference sessions and the PlastiGO Hackathon, PLASREC will feature workshops on the FREE4LIB and CÍCLICOM projects, dedicated networking areas, an exhibitor zone, a scientific poster display and a visit to AIMPLAS facilities. The event is supported by a group of sponsoring organisations including PICVISA, GSF Upcycling, ENTZIMATIKO, PROMAK Solutions, Gravipes, Kubota Brabender, ANARPLA, ANAIP, Mayper, Acteco, Intecsa Industrial (MODUS) and Messer.
This year’s edition also introduces expanded sustainability measures. AIMPLAS is working with the Revivack platform, which has issued the centre a Circular Pass to certify the traceability and recovery of materials used during the event, ensuring that elements such as merchandising and roll-ups receive a circular end-of-life.
