Meet the partner: Mapi Diego from Cabka

Mapi Diego, Extrusion Materials Manager in the Innovation area of Cabka has more than 15 years of experience in the plastic sector. Cabka is a German multinational company in the business of recycling plastics from post-consumer and post-industrial waste into innovative reusable pallets and large container solutions enhancing supply chain sustainability. Since 1994, Cabka has been leading the industry in its integrated approach closing the loop from waste to recycling to manufacturing.  

Can you shortly introduce your role in the INCREACE project?

I’ve gained a broad experience in new technologies of recycling, improvement of recyclability of plastic products, use of biobased materials, reduction the virgin materials content in products by adding natural fillers, but also product properties improvement, addition of new functionalities to the plastic material/final product, product cost savings, etc.

In this last position in Cabka I am responsible of managing the R&D projects both internal company projects and external funding project such as INCREACE or ACROBA. My role in the INCREACE project is to manage and coordinate the technical aspects of the project as well as being the link with my colleague Isabel who oversees the administrative and financial issues.

How did Cabka get involved in the INCREACE project?

Cabka is always open to innovative technologies for obtaining recycled materials suitable for our applications and products. In some applications virgin materials are required due to the functionality of the products, but Cabka always aims to integrate as much recycled content in the products as possible. So, the UM contacted us to be part of this project by focusing on a specific business case.

How do you see the added value of INCREACE for Cabka?

The Cabka’s business case is currently produced with 100% virgin materials due to the need for stable functionality and assurance of ESD pallets. ESD pallets give antistatic protection for electronic materials/products to be packaged on the pallet by eliminating static electricity in a controlled manner. By using recycled materials in this application, Cabka will keep its mission of using recycled plastics and closing the loop and will be aligned with the latest European regulations that indicate that at least 20% of the total content in packaging must be recycled material by 2025. It also will contribute to reach the rates of recycling and demand for recycling materials in Europe.

What is the role of Cabka in the INCREACE project?

Cabka role in INCREACE is  the ownership of one of the Business Cases in WP4: ESD pallets based on recycled plastics (PP/PE). Cabka also participates with other partners in other tasks such as assignment of recycling technologies to BCs and feedstock materials, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), circular product design guidelines, definition of the state-of-the-art and knowledge gaps, the qualitative analysis of the value chain re-configuration, the techno-economic assessment, the study of benchmark business cases in existing plastic recycling landscape and dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the project?

The use of recycled materials PCR (Post Consumer Resin) in ESD products is the main objective, but of course there are others that are also key for Cabka. For instance, it is needed to improve the quality in recycled materials working hand in hand with other partners, technically by recycling technologies, but also by controlling the traceability of the recyclates. All these efforts will contribute to improve sustainability and boost Circular Economy, which is aligned with the EU targets (recycling rates and content of recycled materials in products). Of course, the collaboration with new partners and future commercial alliances is something that we expect to achieve as well as enlarge our knowledge about all these subjects.

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