Background According to Plastics Europe 9.6 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste was disposed in European landfills in 2012. This number accounts for 38.1% of the total post-consumer plastic waste generated. Depositing plastic in landfills is a very inefficient use of resources. Though the trend in recent years has been for less landfilled plastics further action is needed to reach the EU target of eliminating plastic waste sent to landfill by 2020. Recycling reduces the amount of plastic waste sent to landfill, reduces the need for non-renewable raw materials namely petroleum and saves on energy so they represent an ecologically and economically efficient recovery route. However, conventional recycling is not possible for all types of plastic waste, such as waste containing mixed plastics, or contaminated or severely degraded plastics. There are other technologies that can potentially valorise this non-recyclable plastic waste (NRPW), such as gasification or pyrolysis for chemicals and energy production, but they may still pose environmental problems. Objectives LIFE ECOMETHYLAL will test the valorisation of NRPW that is currently landfilled – especially heterogeneous plastic waste – using Catalytic Hydro-Gasification with Plasma (CHGP), a more environmentally friendly technology than the ones currently used. The project will recycle NRPW from the automotive, electric-electronic and packaging sectors to produce a valuable chemical agent called methylal. The market for methylal is estimated to be worth about €5.2 billion/year. It is used in various industries due to its low toxicity, low viscosity and especially its high solvent power making it a sustainable alternative to petrol-based solvents. Therefore, the project addresses two major problems: the recovery of "difficult" plastic waste and the dependency on fossil fuel-derived materials. The proposed technology, which has not previously been used for treating NRPW, will be demonstrated at a pilot plant installed in the facilities of the associated beneficiary ACTECO in Spain. The plant will operate continuously, increasing efficiency and reducing energy consumption. Another one will be built in Croatia to test its replicability potential, which should be high due to its compact and modular configuration The methylal produced will be marketed as an eco-material in various sectors (e.g. plastics, chemicals and automotive). LIFE ECOMETHYLAL will contribute to the implementation of the Roadmap for a Resource-Efficient Europe, the Action Plan for the Circular Economy and the European directives: Packaging and Packaging Waste; Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment; End-of-Life Vehicles; Waste Framework; and Landfill of Waste. Expected results: Reduction of around 3.6 tonnes plastic waste sent to landfill (accounting for 0.28 tonnes CO2 eq. or more than 304 MJ eq. per pilot plant) during the project period; Production of 2.88 tonnes methylal through waste resources (thus saving virgin fossil resources), leading to a reduction of 2.07 tonnes CO2 eq., more than 107 300 MJ eq. per pilot plant; Implementation of a cleaning process for plastic recovery; Improved economic and environmental efficiency of the recycling companies in order to achieve EU zero waste targets (thereby improving competitiveness); Job creation: an average of 15 jobs per industrial plant; and A replicable strategy for recovery of plastic waste in other EU countries.