Clara Bilbao

Article written by Rafael Miguel – Recycling and Circular Economy Market Manager at GAIKER – See original

The publication of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as the PPWR, marks a turning point for the entire packaging value chain. This is not merely a new regulatory requirement, but a structural change in the way we design, manufacture, use, reuse and recycle packaging.

The aim of this new regulation is clear: to reduce unnecessary packaging, promote reuse, refilling and recycling, harmonise rules across the European market and contribute to the transition towards a circular and climate-neutral economy. The Regulation introduces sustainability and labelling requirements throughout the entire life cycle of packaging, from its design and composition to its management as waste.

From recycling to eco-design: the new PPWR paradigm
One of the most significant aspects of the PPWR is that it shifts the focus from end-of-life waste management to the design of packaging from the outset. In this new context, it will not be enough for packaging to be technically recyclable in theory. It must be designed so that it can be collected, sorted and recycled on a large scale. Furthermore, the Regulation establishes a system of recyclability standards applicable from 2030 and introduces stricter requirements from 2038.

This change will have direct implications on businesses. Packaging must minimise weight and volume whilst maintaining its functionality, avoid unnecessary components and meet increasingly stringent criteria regarding recyclability, reuse, recycled content and traceability. In the case of plastic packaging, the Regulation sets out minimum content requirements for recycled material derived from post-consumer plastic waste, subject to certain exceptions, and maintains specific requirements for compostable packaging, which must comply with industrial composting standards.

In this context, bioplastics take on a particularly interesting role, but one that is also more demanding. Its contribution to sustainability cannot be based solely on the renewable origin of the raw material. The future competitiveness of these materials will depend on their real performance within the system: their functionality, compatibility with processing methods, recyclability, compostability where applicable, safety in use and integration into existing collection and treatment infrastructures. A bio-based material is not automatically circular; it must be proven to be so both technically and environmentally.

For this reason, the transition driven by the PPWR should not be seen merely as a regulatory challenge, but as an opportunity for innovation. Companies will need to review formulations, redesign multi-layer structures, evaluate single-material alternatives, incorporate recycled or bio-based materials where appropriate, validate functional properties and generate technical evidence to support regulatory compliance. The EU Declaration of Conformity and the associated technical documentation will be key to demonstrating that the packaging complies with the applicable requirements.

GAIKER’s role in the transition towards more circular packaging
This is where GAIKER can play a decisive role. The transition towards more circular packaging requires technical expertise, experimental capabilities and a holistic view of materials, processes, the end product and end-of-life. GAIKER is committed to circular plastics derived from chemical recycling, mechanical recycling or renewable resources, including bioplastics, with strategic applications in sectors such as packaging, the automotive industry, construction, electrical and electronics, textiles and agriculture.

From a practical perspective, companies will need support in several areas: the selection and validation of recycled or bio-based materials, recyclability assessment, physico-chemical characterisation, thermal and mechanical analysis, migration studies, barrier properties, moisture resistance, ageing tests, and analysis using FTIR, DSC, TGA or microscopy, amongst others.

The PPWR will also require closer collaboration between packaging manufacturers, packagers, recyclers, waste management operators, public authorities, distributors and technology centres. Circularity will not be achieved through isolated decisions, but through coordinated value chains capable of designing packaging that is functional for industry, safe for consumers and compatible with existing collection, sorting and recycling systems.

The implementation of the PPWR should not be viewed merely as regulatory pressure, but as an opportunity to anticipate, stand out from the crowd and develop more robust, sustainable and competitive packaging solutions. Companies that start adapting their materials, designs and processes now will be better placed to meet the 2030 requirements and the even stricter demands that will follow.

GAIKER aims to support companies throughout this process: from identifying technical challenges to the experimental validation of new packaging solutions, including the development of circular materials, the assessment of recyclability, the characterisation of performance and the generation of technical evidence to facilitate decision-making.

The circular economy for packaging will not merely be a legal obligation. It will be an opportunity to redesign products, reduce environmental impact, increase resource efficiency and move towards a more innovative, resilient and sustainable industry.

The PPWR is redefining the rules of the game for packaging in Europe. Anticipating is not just about delivering sooner: it is innovating better.

Further information: https://www.gaiker.es/soluciones/envase-y-embalaje/

The ATALAYA project forms part of the CERVERA network of excellence and promotes research into technological solutions to detect and protect against nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological (NRCB) threats.

The GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is participating in the Cervera ATALAYA Network of Excellence, a strategic project aimed at developing advanced technologies to detect, identify, monitor and protect against CBRN threats.

The aim of the project is to establish a network of technology centres of scientific and technical excellence in the field of security against CBRN threats. In particular, it focuses on the development of technologies capable of preventing, detecting and responding to crisis situations arising from the deliberate or accidental use of these threats.

In the current European security environment, characterised by the growing complexity of threats and the use of indirect methods that are difficult to anticipate, the need for advanced technological solutions is becoming increasingly urgent. The detection, identification, monitoring, protection and decontamination of CBRN agents require a multidisciplinary approach that integrates advances in sensor engineering, biotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and communication systems.

In this context, the ATALAYA network promotes a programme of work aimed at generating knowledge and technological capabilities that can be transferred to industry, in order to address five key challenges: detect and identify threats, protect infrastructure and people, decontaminate affected environments and improve emergency response.

The network, which forms part of the Cervera grant scheme for Technology Centres of excellence in areas linked to the Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defence, is led by the ITENE Technology Centre, and involves the participation of the GAIKER, LUREDERRA, NAITEC and INESCOP technology centres, forming an ecosystem of scientific cooperation geared towards technology transfer to industry.

GAIKER’s work
The GAIKER Technology Centre, with extensive experience in the development of biodetection and water treatment technologies, is part of the ATALAYA network, leading and contributing to the development of new solutions to detect biological agents and the decontaminate environments affected by chemical compounds.

In the field of detection, GAIKER is leading the design, development and validation of a new generation of biosensors based on advanced genetic technologies, which are able to quickly and precisely detect biological agents directly in the affected environments. These devices combine advanced genetic analysis techniques (LAMP and CRISPR-Cas) to specifically identify pathogens, providing rapid and reliable results.

In the field of decontamination, GAIKER is developing advanced technologies for the treatment of contaminated water and environments, using efficient and sustainable solutions designed to neutralise biological and chemical agents. To do so, research is being carried out into the use of advanced oxidation processes for the degradation of pollutants present in water, including bacteria, pharmaceutical compounds, herbicides, pesticides and persistent organic pollutants, such as PFAs. The Technology Centre is also researching complementary technologies based on membranes, electro-oxidation and adsorption in order to design a compact, modular, transportable and rapid-response system for water decontamination in critical infrastructures.

Finally, these developments will be assessed against particularly significant chemical and biological agents, helping to strengthen the response capacity in CBRN scenarios.

GAIKER’s participation in the Cervera ATALAYA Network reinforces its commitment to the development of dual-use technologies to protect against emerging threats, and contributes to the development of solutions that have a direct impact on society’s security and resilience.

This project is funded by grants for “Cervera” Technology Centres of Excellence under the 2025 call for proposals, as part of the National Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024–2027.

The project will develop a cross-border value chain to promote the reuse and recycling of textile waste using innovative circular economy solutions.

GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is taking part in the CircularTexEFA project, “Textile circularity in the border region: optimisation and cooperation for sorting, pre-treatment and recycling of textile waste”, which is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra programme (POCTEFA 2021–2027).

The project, which will run from 2026 to 2028, brings together eleven organisations from Spain and France with the aim of establishing a cross-border circular textile value chain, by organising collection, reuse and recycling schemes for textile waste and promoting more sustainable management of these materials.

CircularTexEFA was created to address the challenge of reducing the volume of textile waste sent to landfill or incineration, by promoting its recovery and reintegration into new production cycles. To this end, the project brings together the stakeholders in the textile value chain — industry, social economy organisations, waste management companies, public authorities and technology centres — with the aim of creating synergies and accelerating the transition towards more circular models.

The methodology is structured around an initial phase of territorial analysis and assessment of textile waste collection and treatment systems, together with an evaluation of the technologies available for their processing. Based on this, an action plan will be drawn up in order to roll out of an efficient cross-border value chain. A demonstration pilot project will be launched later on to cover all stages of the process, from collecting and sorting textile waste to turning it into secondary raw materials using mechanical, thermomechanical and chemical recycling technologies, as well as manufacturing new products using recycled materials.

As part of the project, GAIKER, as an expert in recycling and circular economy, is helping to draw up the study and the action plan for the development of the cross-border textile recycling value chain. It will also research and demonstrate chemical recycling technologies for post-consumer polyester textile waste, with a view to producing high value-added products that can be reintroduced into the industry.

The project consortium
The CircularTexEFA consortium is made up of eleven organisations from Spain and France representing all the stages of the value chain in the textile and waste management sectors. Coordinated by ESTIA, the project includes PLAXTIL, KOOPERA, CETIA, CLOSSA, PICVISA, JR SL, SOKOA, LORPEN, GARBIKER Bizkaia and GAIKER.

Este proyecto está cofinanciado en un 65 % por la Unión Europea en el marco del programa Interreg VI-A España–Francia–Andorra (POCTEFA 2021–2027), cuyo objetivo es reforzar la integración económica y social de la zona transfronteriza.

At GAIKER, we are developing advanced solvolysis solutions for the chemical recycling of plastics, bioplastics and composites, aimed at recovering waste and reclaiming high-value raw materials.

We are working on developing innovative chemical recycling processes using a range of different approaches, such as plastic-to-plastic, plastic-to-chemicals and plastic-to-oil & gas, thereby contributing to the transition towards more efficient, sustainable circular economy models.

We also have specialised equipment and pilot plants that allow us to scale up and validate processes under conditions similar to those found in an industrial setting, thereby facilitating the transfer of technology to industry.

Technological services

• Chemical recycling of PET, PU, PA, PLA, PHA, PBS, CFRP and GFRP using solvolysis processes.
  Glycolysis, hydrolysis, methanolysis and acidolysis.
• Characterisation and conditioning of materials to be treated by solvolysis process.
  Determination of composition and key parameters such as moisture content, density, particle size and composition. Removal of impurities, reduction in size and optimisation of the material for chemical treatment.
• Obtaining monomers and fibres through solvolysis tests and purification operations.
• Analysis and validation of monomers and fibres recovered using the solvolysis process. Pilot-scale assessment.
• Scale-up to a pilot plant for selected processes.
• Conceptual and basic engineering of plants for depolymerising waste using solvolysis.
• Design of depolymerisation plants using catalytic solvolysis and purification of the reaction mixture.
• Assessment of the economic, technical and environmental feasibility of solvolysis processes.
• Comprehensive analysis with the aim of implementing the processes developed in industry in the future.

Equipment:

• 0.5 – 1 – 2 l glass reactors
• 10 l stainless steel reactor
• High pressure Parr reactor (250 bar and 450°C)
• High temperature Parr reactor (up to 800°C)
• High pressure autoclave reactor
• Pilot plants with 140-300 l reactors for industrial scale-up

At GAIKER, we are helping to transform waste into new opportunities for value, by promoting sustainable technological solutions for industry.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about how we can help you with your chemical recycling and waste recovery processes

GAIKER specialises in the assessment of the safety and efficacy of molecules, compounds or final products using different models. Our in vitro and ex vivo tests on human skin models provide quality solutions for the dermo-cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors. We have the capacity to perform customised studies on the mechanisms of action of active ingredients, as well as studies based on conventional protocols and GLP requirements in accordance with international guidelines, such as the FDA or the EMA.

Our work includes tube tests, cell cultures (keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, immune system cells…), 3D models and ex vivo human skin explants. Moreover, we have well-equipped laboratories for cell culture, molecular biology, proteomics-genomics (including Microbiome analysis) with state-of-the-art equipment, such as: scanning electron microscope (SEM), confocal microscope, our cell bank, biofilm reactor, flow cytometer, Franz cells, UPLC…

Techniques have been developed to generate a series of skin models with different aetiologies, such as sensitive skin, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, reddish skin etc., presenting the same determining characteristics of skin with a specific pathology. We also have the capacity to develop organotypic cultures with specific pathologies that enable us to simulate skin models that reproduce the characteristics of ulcerated or burnt skin.

GAIKER, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), will attend EQUIPLAST, the leading event for the plastics and rubber industry, between June 2 and 5.

The fair will be held at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via exhibition centre, and bring together more than 400 exhibitors and the sector’s most innovative and leading companies. This event will bring together companies from key sectors such as packaging, the automotive industry and construction, with the aim of showcasing innovative, sustainable solutions that will drive the circular economy and the transition towards a greener future.

At this year’s event, GAIKER will once again share a stand with CEP, where it will showcase a range of technological samples and demonstrators developed as part of projects related to its areas of expertise: compounding and recovery, functional polymers, plastic electronics, bio-based polymers, packaging materials and sustainable composites.

Come and visit our stand (Calle A, Stand 41) to learn more about our technological developments and areas of research for yourself!