The RECLAIM project will develop a low-cost, portable, and easy-to-install Material Recovery Facility (MRF) that will allow for the recovery of materials in any area, even remote locations. In addition, the project will develop games to raise public awareness and commitment to the environment, encouraging citizens to take action to increase material recovery from waste.
AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Institute, will participate in RECLAIM, leveraging its extensive experience in plastics recovery and the circular economy. According to Javier Grau, a researcher in Mechanical Recycling at AIMPLAS, “Our role will focus on defining the requirements and specifications for the portable and robotic MRF equipment. We will also prioritize plastics recovery and optimize the system's performance for different use cases.”
In line with the European Green Deal, the RECLAIM project brings together the latest technologies for creating portable and robotic material recovery facilities. RECLAIM will combine mechanical recycling equipment and robotic sorting systems with artificial intelligence in a container that can be transported wherever needed and set up in just a few hours. This system will allow for the efficient recovery of recyclable materials with a minimal number of workers and will remain functional and sustainable for several years after the project ends. The system will be validated in real-world locations in the Ionian Islands.
Furthermore, within the framework of the project, social awareness regarding recycling will be promoted through the development of a game that will focus on the challenges of recycling and encourage citizens to participate in project activities from a scientific perspective of the population to provide data for training in artificial intelligence and interactive learning.
The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program and comprises three research centers, two universities, a regional authority, a producer responsibility center, a robotics company, an innovation management company, and an international partnership. The members are: FORTH – Foundation for Research and Technology (Greece), AIMPLAS (Spain), Axia Innovation (Germany), ION (Greece), IRIS (Spain), HRRC – Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation (Greece), KU Leuven (Belgium), Robenso – Robotic Environmental Solutions (Greece), ISWA – International Solid Waste Association (Netherlands), and UoM – University of Malta (Malta).
The RECLAIM Project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No: 101070524.
