REDONDO, i.e., Reversibly Designed Cross-linked Polymers, is a Horizon Europe project that started in September 2022. REDONDO deals with cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) and strategies to introduce recyclability in PEX products to improve their environmental footprint. The 18-months consortium and review meetings of REDONDO took place at SILON’s premises in Tabor (Czechia), on the 13 and 14 of March 2024. All partners of the consortium gathered to discuss the progress during the first 18 months of the project and the planned actions for the following semester. Furthermore, the PO of the project Dr Rio Echevarria, as well as the external evaluator, Dr Paul Topham, participated to the review meeting.
The coordinator of the project, Pr. Dimitrios Bikiaris, introduced the REDONDO project with a concise overview of the project and then the WP and Task leaders presented the work performed in the first 18 months of the project. In WP1, the coordination and management WP, led by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), focus was given on the tools set up to facilitate the management of the project and the deliverables and milestones submitted/achieved. In WP2, led by SILON, the requirements and specifications of the raw rPEX material, the pipes and cables that will be produced with rPEX were defined and the process to define recyclability-by-design criteria and recycling scenarios were presented. More technical discussions started with WP3, led by AUTH, where both leading partners presented their results regarding the synthesis of rPEX. Animated discussions took place in the framework of WP4, led by CNANO. In this WP, the targeted biobased nano-additives have been synthesised, and several chemical modifications have also been performed, composite materials with these additives were prepared and their properties evaluated. Among those, good antioxidant properties must be cited, as well as some promising results with flame-retardancy. Moving on to WP5, led by SILON, benchmark materials (LDPE and HDPE) and two different lignin-based additives supplied by CNANO were used to assess the processes that will be used and establish protocols and best practices; these will be further extended to the REDONDO materials and cellulose-based additives in the coming months. Additionally, SILON, KBE and Interplast presented their roles and tasks in the context of WP5, that will start later. The methodology that will be applied to define safe-by-design criteria was presented within the context of WP6, led by ITENE. The ranking system was illustrated by an example with lignin modification and the different chemicals employed in these processes. Finally, the methods for the experimental assessment of the safety aspects of the project waw presented. WP7, led by ISQ, is the work package dedicated to sustainability. Ιn this context, preliminary results from LCA and socio-economical analysis regarding the production of bio-based additives, the methodology to define sustainability criteria, the progress with the additives inventory and the objectives of the Place-me tool were presented. Finally, the activities of WP8, led by AXIA, were presented. In more details, the Task 8.1 and 8.2 presentation included the dissemination and communication plan, the REDONDO website (design principle and analytics), the partner’s collaboration platform (partners area) and its potential as well as the open innovation environment, the data management plan, the social media pages of the project and some analytics, the dissemination material that has been designed and the events in which REDONDO has been presented. Finally, work carried out within Tasks 8.3 and 8.4 was reported: the definition of the key exploitable results (KER), the market analysis, the SWOT and PESTLE analysis performed for each KER group, the business model canvas carried out for the SMEs and SILON, and finally the risk analysis.
The discussion developed within the consortium were fruitful and the feedback from the PO and the external evaluator regarding this first reporting period was very positive. Constructive suggestions were made that will be soon implemented. The project is on track, with a lot of developments to come in the next few months.
We are looking forward to the next consortium meeting in September 2024 that will be hosted by CNRS partner at Montpellier. The consortium meeting will be combined with a workshop on reversibility, with interesting talks to be further announced!
Figure 1: REDONDO’s M18 Meeting attendees