Design Thinking Workshop - ICMPP

The workshop took place on September 19, 2024 organized by Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry „Petru Poni“ Iasi Romania facilitated a dialogue between experts and stakeholders for industry to explore innovative solutions capable of supporting the transition towards circularity in the plastic processing machinery sector.

Through guided brainstorming sessions, the three teams have developed creative solutions to extend lifespan of machines and to improve their recycling.The platform MIRO was an essential tool used in this dedicated workshop facilitated collaboration and visual prototyping of solutions developed by the participants.

The team 1 offered solutions focused on making machines more efficient used in the purification and depolymerization of plastic materials. In context of plastics processing, these solutions are essential for improving the performance of equipment used in recycling, in particular in terms of solvent recovery and reuse. The reduction of solvent consumption and their integration into new production cycles represent an innovative method to minimize costs and optimize industrial processes. The team also identified opportunities for plastic reuse recycled in other industries (asphalt, furniture, equipment), maximizing the duration life of materials and contributing to increasing circularity in industrial processes. These solutions can reduce the ecological footprint and generate significant savings in the exploitation of machinery.

The team 2 had as its main objective the reduction of energy consumption in industrial processes by optimizing and upgrading equipment intended for the processing of plastics. Their solutions focused on energy audits, process optimization and source integration renewable energy.

The team 3 focused on improving the process of shredding plastic waste, one of the most critical steps in recycling the materials. Their innovative solutions such as freezing materials plastics before chopping and breaking them down, contributes to growth the energy efficiency of the equipment. These technologies are not just declining energy consumption, but also reduce wear and tear on machinery, which extends equipment life and increase productivity. In addition, the team proposed combining chopping processes with biodegradation, a solution that would allow a more efficient and longer degradation of plastic, using chemical or biological methods. This process integration could revolutionize the operation of equipment by recycling plastic, while reducing the ecological impact of the industry.