CuRe Technology finds solution for difficult-to-recycle plastic
Emmen-based CuRe Technology is developing a technology to reuse polyester, which is difficult to recycle.
Published on April 23, 2025
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Polyester is one of the most commonly used plastics. The material is found in various products, from plastic packaging to clothing. “Every year, 80 to 100 billion kilos of it are produced worldwide. Only 9% of this is recycled. That is a crying shame, because there are certainly possibilities,” says Josse Kunst, chief commercial officer (CCO), of CuRe Technology.
Plastics – also known as polymers – are a chain of molecules that ultimately form a material. “You can think of them as Lego blocks. Together they form a product. The advantage is that you can easily remove the polyester Lego blocks and clean them. Then you can make something new out of them again,” explains Kunst.
In traditional mechanical recycling, transparent polyester is melted to a peanut butter-like mass, cleaned, and used again for new products.
Effective and energy-efficient,
However, 83% of polyester is contaminated, for example, because it has been mixed with other materials or dyes. “You can then completely break it down into one Lego brick, one molecule. That alone takes an incredible amount of energy,” Kunst underlines.
He and his team made an important discovery. ”We can also recycle polyester if we break it down to 80%, until only a few Lego bricks are left. Then it is also possible to clean the material well enough to use it again in a new product. This process only uses 20% of the energy needed to break down the polyester completely,” he adds. According to Kunst, this makes CuRe's technology the cheapest and most sustainable method of recycling polyester.
Pilot plant
CuRe Technology has set up a pilot plant in Emmen to test the new technology. The entrepreneurs behind CuRe Technology also already have a factory in Emmen to recycle transparent PET bottles. “So we already had buildings, infrastructure, knowledge, and a good relationship with the municipality and province.” The latter is very important, the CCO acknowledges. “Drenthe feels like a warm bath, we receive good support, and people are willing to help each other. These connections are incredibly valuable when you start a new technology as an entrepreneur. They set you off a flying start.”
Scaling up
The company is living an exciting time. "We are now at the tipping point of taking the step towards the first commercial factory," says Kunst.
The entrepreneurs are currently conducting the final tests at the pilot plant, arranging permits, and holding talks with the government and the regional development agency Noord-Nederlandse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij (NOM). “We are putting the final pieces of the puzzle together and hope to be able to decide to scale up at the beginning of the year.”
Recycling different plastics
CuRe Technology will initially focus on plastic packaging. “This is already being properly collected, making getting input for the plant easier. In addition, because of the existing recycling factory, we are already working with Coca-Cola, a large stakeholder. This means we already have a buyer for the recycled plastic,” says Kunst.
Moreover, Europe already has regulations in place for the use of recycled plastic. By 2025, 25% of new packaging must be made from recycled plastic; by 2030, this will increase to 30%. In the future, the company also wants to look into recycling textiles. “Not much has been laid down in law about this yet, but the European Union is working hard on it. For example, the collection of textiles will become mandatory starting in 2025. But then a lot of research is still needed into sorting techniques, for example, before we can commit to large-scale recycling.”
Ultimately, CuRe Technology wants to make polyester completely circular. Kunst: “And to do so in a responsible, cheap, and environmentally friendly way. Thereby, we hope to change how we deal with plastic in the world.”
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