Towards the circularity of polymer packaging

This thesis project was held at the Department of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Delft University for a total duration of four months. The project was born from a collaboration between the University of Bologna and Delft, which has been in the works for a long time. The thesis project is also part of a six-year project that sees the collaboration of several Dutch institutes with the aim of creating new technologies and improving the quality of plastic packaging specifically when it is finished the recycling process so that it can be reused. The paperwork is structured to provide, through the first chapter, an overview of the current state of plastic and packaging production and to introduce the concept of circular economy, which has now become fundamental in today's economy. The next chapter will be devoted to the understanding of the project, the methodology used, and a thorough analysis of the actors involved in the standardization scenario will be carried out to understand the importance and the obstacles that need to be faced nowadays. Finally, the theme of product design will be deepened, which is fundamental to their proper recycling. The third chapter presents a study of the literature on those that are the most used polymers today in the packaging industry. Particular attention is given to the characteristics of the material. The second part of the chapter deepens the theme of additives and their characteristics, cataloged following extensive research. The fourth chapter continues with a description of the main steps involved in the recycling process and the various types of processes. The intention is to deepen what is happening in the various phases and what are the most problematic for the output quality. Finally, the project conclusions and the opinions of some experts who have been consulted during these months of research and study will be presented.