ITENE showcases its solutions to drive plastics circularity at the K trade fair

• Under the theme “Research, consulting, and testing for the plastics industry challenge”, ITENE’s stand presents innovative solutions for the development of recyclable materials, plastics recycling, and new raw materials derived from waste valorization. 

• The research center is exhibiting the results of various research projects, as well as industry-applied success stories. 

ITENE Research Center will take part in the new edition of the K trade fair in Düsseldorf (Germany) from 8 to 15 October, where it will showcase technological solutions to address the plastics sector’s strategic challenges at a decisive moment shaped by the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). 

At stand E01 in Hall 5 at Messe Düsseldorf, visitors will find the latest advances in areas such as advanced compostable materials, improved recyclability, new raw materials from post-consumer recycling, and the valorisation of agricultural by-products. 

Under the theme “Research, consulting, and testing for the plastics industry challenge,” the research center will demonstrate how it is leading the transition towards plastics circularity through the development of polymeric materials for the circular economy, structured around three pillars: improving material properties; innovation in recycling processes and waste recovery; and the assessment and optimisation of packaging and plastic products through testing. 

ITENE TECHSHOW 

High-performance packaging materials for circularity 

ITENE will demonstrate that circularity can be achieved without compromising functionality or barrier properties. Among its solutions are recyclable monomaterial multilayer films for packaging delicate products such as sliced cheese and nuts (NEFLEXAR and SUSFLEX projects). These solutions maintain the barrier and sealability required for food preservation while simplifying the packaging structure to facilitate recycling. 

In the field of advanced compostable materials, ITENE will present industrially compostable, high-barrier monomaterial multilayer packaging for snacks and nuts (BIOMAC project), 100% biodegradable and home-compostable single-dose packages (nenuPHAr project), as well as reusable and compostable cutlery (SEALVE project), combining reuse with a sustainable end-of-life. 

Waste valorisation and new raw materials 

ITENE strengthens the circular economy by transforming post-consumer waste and agricultural by-products into high-value materials. This pillar includes monomaterial three-layer packaging for cosmetics with high recycled content and enhanced properties (DECORAP project), as well as the production of recyclable polymers via reactive extrusion of post-consumer waste (EXTRECH UP project). 

The center will also showcase solutions based on the valorisation of agricultural by-products, such as active trays with antioxidant properties and improved mechanical performance, incorporating reinforcements and polyphenols extracted from agricultural residues (AGROMATTER project). 

Ongoing research 

ITENE Research Center has been developing technological solutions through R&D for more than 30 years, creating materials and technologies for the circular economy. R&D represents over 85% of its activity, which is reflected in research projects in Spain and internationally, where it participates in multiple European initiatives. 

In 2024, ITENE worked on 11 EU projects, 5 of which are led by the research center, together with more than 400 companies and organisations, and since 2007 it has obtained €53.14 million in returns from the European Union. 

Across its more than 12,000 m² of facilities—5,000 m² of which are dedicated to laboratories and pilot plants equipped with state-of-the-art technologies—the center is currently working on various European projects coordinated by ITENE, which will be presented at its stand at the K trade fair. 

The BEUP project seeks to accelerate the transition towards sustainable packaging with biodegradable and recyclable materials. For its part, the ZEROW project aims to develop innovative solutions to halve food waste by 2030.  

The TERRIFIC project pursues the development of eight circular packaging solutions with improved properties. The EOILE project aims to deliver biodegradable, eco-designed, safe and sustainable packaging solutions for single-use oily products.  

The MOEBIOS project focuses on improving the management of biobased plastic waste and its valorisation in the packaging, textile and agricultural sectors. The MERLIN project develops technological solutions to increase the quality and the recycling rate of multilayer packaging waste, the ECOTRON project aims to reduce the environmental impact of printed electronic devices, and the REDOL project seeks to promote the circular economy in cities by redesigning five municipal solid waste value chains. 

Finally, FIBREC optimises the recycling of textile fibers, and RECYSCALE works on the scalability of advanced recycling technologies, strengthening the efficiency and viability of circularity across different sectors. 

Consulting, Scale-Up and Testing Services 

Finally, the research center highlights its role as a strategic partner helping companies ensure both compliance and product performance in the new European regulatory environment. Visitors will be able to explore ITENE’s key services, which include comprehensive regulatory consulting to adapt packaging to the requirements of the PPWR, food safety in line with the European regulatory framework, and testing to obtain certification for recyclability as well as for compostability and biodegradability. All these services are complemented by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Ecodesign to optimise packaging. 

Visitors will also learn about ITENE’s capabilities for pilot-scale production of packaging developments—such as adhesives, inks, and packaging materials—at its processing and printed electronics facilities. 

The center applies its expertise in additive synthesis and in the formulation and processing of materials—conventional plastics, recycled plastics, and bioplastics—to optimise their properties and facilitate industrialisation through extrusion, injection moulding, lamination, and printing, in line with progress towards a more sustainable and circular plastics industry. 

With its participation at K, ITENE reaffirms its commitment to innovation and sustainability in the plastics sector, positioning itself as a benchmark in technological solutions that drive circularity, enhance packaging functionality, and support compliance with the new European regulatory framework. The presence of the research center in Düsseldorf will allow companies and professionals to see first-hand how applied research, R&D projects, and specialised consulting services translate into specific solutions for a more sustainable and efficient future.