For those interested in the current challenges, technical innovations, and product qualities possible today in plastics recycling, IFAT Munich 2022 is the place to be.
Waste management and recycling have always been among the key areas at IFAT Munich. During the new edition from May 30 to June 3, 2022, several of the partner associations of the world's leading environmental technology trade fair will have a particular focus on plastics recycling.
For example, the Federal Association of the German Waste, Water and Raw Materials Management Industry (BDE) and the German Association for Plastic Packaging and Films (IK) are organizing a special exhibition area under the motto “Too precious to waste.” 18 companies from the waste management and recycling sector as well as manufacturers from the plastics industry will present their best-practice applications and cutting-edge processes on more than 200 m² in Hall A6 of the Munich trade fair center. “Our partners will demonstrate, for example, the diversity of recyclate use in new plastic products, as well as innovative digital approaches to dealing with plastic waste,” announces the BDE and continues: “The recycled raw materials are getting better and better in quality, allowing for broader uses of the recovered materials, such as in food or cosmetic packaging, which we will also showcase.” To complement the presentations at the booths in the special exhibition area, there will be an extensive supporting program of discussions and lectures.
Digital assistants that facilitate AI-based verbal interactions are another example of the impending digital transformation within the industry. Smooth interactions between humans and machines are already possible today, leading to a dialog-based self-service that can resolve citizens' concerns immediately, regardless of the time of day. Here, chatbots and voice assistants are becoming increasingly intelligent and popular. Especially younger users are already using digital helpers and are open to new technologies. As such, voice assistants are future-oriented solutions that bring together current technology trends and customer needs.
In the “Process World Plastics Recycling”, the VDMA’s Waste Treatment and Recycling Association will present the solution path for recycling plastics. The dominating element of the special area in Hall B5 will be “The Machine.” In eight process steps, the digital and in many ways interactive installation traces the path of the packaging waste to the new granulate. “With 'The Machine' we want to showcase our members' solution expertise in sorting and recycling,” says Dr. Sarah Brückner. According to the Managing Director of the VDMA association, 15 companies from the waste and recycling technology sector contribute their technologies to the project. “Our presentation intentionally provides only a rough, abstract overview of how plastics recycling works with modern technologies. Their suppliers can present the highlights of their processes in a compact form and refer to their own trade show booth for further details,” explains Dr. Brückner.
In addition to “The Machine”, the Process World Plastics Recycling also will showcase exhibits on plastics recycling under the name “Walk of Fame.”
