Circular TPEs for economy of the future: an interview with Katarzyna Pokwicka-Croucher

An interview with Founder & CEO of Ecopolplast Katarzyna Pokwicka-Croucher, where she answers questions from TOGETAIR 2024 summit about Ecoplastomer®.  

Discover what innovative circular TPEs are, the products they are used for, and their significant impact on the environment and our future. 

What is the project for which you received the award in the Stena Circular Economy Award – Leader in Circular Economy?

– Ecopolpast is the creator of the technology and producer of Eсoplastomer®. It is a thermoplastic made from recycled plastic, which is usually discarded and rubber from old car tyres. To clarify, since few people know what a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer is, it is a type of flexible plastic that is more durable than pure plastic and is used in the automotive industry, for office furniture, garden furniture, and various storage containers because this material is simply more durable.

We not only use what is commonly referred to as waste, i.e., we collect discarded plastic and rubber from old car tyres, but thanks to our technology, our product is circular. For example, if a car bumper is made from it and the bumper becomes unusable, it can be ground down and reused, and this material can function in this way for many cycles.

This is very important because we are overwhelmed by plastic waste and tyres. Out of curiosity, we once calculated in the company that annually we discard enough plastic to cover all of Switzerland to a height of 3 meters, and annually enough tyres are discarded worldwide to build a bridge from Earth to the Moon.

Why is it worth implementing solutions based on circular economy?

– I do not think it is worth it, I think it is a necessity. As my son once said, he really wouldn’t want to move to Mars because living on Earth would no longer be possible. Unfortunately, we are heading in that direction. We have no choice.

Circular economy is the future, and the sooner we implement circular solutions in every aspect of our lives, the better our lives will be. And incidentally, circular solutions often bring various savings, not only in terms of Earth’s erosion but also economically, sometimes yielding significant savings. I believe it is the only correct direction we should take.