At a time when only 10% of plastics are produced from recycled materials while primary production generates 400 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, one way to curb this phenomenon would be to increase the percentage of recycled plastics in the industry.

This is the challenge being taken on by the COMET (Châtelet) and ELOY Water (Sprimont) groups as they join forces with researchers from Certech and the University of Liège with the support of the Mecatech and Greenwin competitiveness clusters, to launch the "Pur4UP" industrial project.

Their goal is to create a new channel for the recovery of recycled plastics, through their integration into the manufacture of latest-generation wastewater treatment plants. The budget for Pur4UP is €6.4 million (€3.7 million from the Walloon Region and €2.7 million from the private sector).

Pur4UP has many benefits; in addition to several Walloon players working together to develop a green product, the project will also create employment, with the two manufacturers taking part in this project planning to create more than 57 jobs. The environmental benefit will also be substantial, with several thousand tonnes of thermoplastics joining the circular economy.