Adaptive and Circular Manufacturing of Modular Filtration Systems from ThermoplasticWaste

REFLOW is an international collaboration involving partners from Slovenia, the

United Kingdom, and Portugal, working together to address one of Europe's most

persistent circular-economy challenges: the recycling and reuse of cross-linked

polyethylene (XLPE). XLPE is widely used in critical infrastructure---such as energy

cables, construction materials and industrial components---but its cross-linked

structure makes it exceptionally difficult to recycle using conventional methods. As a

result, the vast majority of European XLPE waste is landfilled or incinerated, creating

environmental burdens and limiting opportunities to recover valuable materials.

REFLOW brings forward a new pathway for sustainable manufacturing by developing

an innovative low-temperature de-crosslinking process that transforms previously

unrecyclable XLPE into a high-quality, reusable material. This opens the door to a

circular value chain in which XLPE waste is converted into advanced recycled

polymers suitable for demanding industrial applications.

A key demonstration of REFLOW's approach is the development of a new class of

modular wastewater filtration systems manufactured from recycled XLPE. These

systems will be designed for durability, chemical resistance, and regulatory

compliance, improving pollutant removal efficiency while reducing reliance on virgin

plastics. The filtration units incorporate embedded sensors and data-driven

monitoring tools, allowing real-time observation of system performance and enabling

predictive maintenance. This combination of recycled materials and digital

intelligence reflects REFLOW's broader ambition: to link sustainability with industrial

competitiveness through innovation.

The project's multinational structure ensures that technological advances are paired

with practical deployment and market uptake. Slovenia leads industrialization and

large-scale manufacturing; Portugal drives application in water-treatment markets

and end-user validation; and the United Kingdom provides foundational scientific,

digital, and materials-engineering expertise. Together, the consortium delivers a

complete innovation chain---from breakthrough research to industrial

demonstration---positioning REFLOW as a model for European collaboration on

circular manufacturing.

The UK partners contribute the scientific, materials-engineering, digital-monitoring,

and sustainability-analysis capabilities that enable REFLOW's technological

foundation. Brunel University London leads the development of the novel recycling

process, ensuring that XLPE waste can be transformed into high-quality material

through controlled chemical and thermal methods. C4 Polymers designs and

formulates the advanced polymer compounds that give recycled XLPE the

mechanical and functional characteristics required for industrial use. Peak to Peak

Measurement Solutions develops the IoT systems that provide real-time quality

control and predictive operational insights across recycling and filtration processes.

Gulsine Ltd supports sustainability modelling, digital analytics, and lifecycle

assessments, ensuring environmental performance and guiding optimisation across

the project.