July 30, 2026Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA)
ICRA features Plastikóre: a technology to remove microplastics from wastewater
The Catalan Institute for Water Research explains how Plastikóre, a UdG-ICRA spin-off awarded at SpinUOC, removes 85-95% of microfibres with a physical process free of chemical reagents.
The Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) published on July 30, 2026 the news article "Plastikóre, SpinUOC award-winning project, develops a technology to remove microplastics from wastewater", explaining how our technology removes between 85% and 95% of the microfibres present in wastewater.
A physical and circular treatment
The ICRA article details that Plastikóre's approach is based on a physical process with no chemical reagents: magnetic particles adhere to microplastics, a coarse-sand reactor retains the microfibres and a magnetic system extracts the captured particles, with low energy consumption and no toxic waste generation.
ICRA news article
Published on July 30, 2026 at icra.cat
EU Directive 2024/3019
New quaternary treatment requirements for wastewater plants
From research to knowledge transfer
ICRA highlights that Plastikóre is a spin-off of the University of Girona (UdG) and the institute itself, awarded at SpinUOC with the Audience Award and the Ramon Molinas Foundation Social Impact Award. The technology is currently at TRL 3-4, validated through laboratory proofs of concept, and targets urban wastewater treatment plants, the textile industry and water-sector engineering firms.
You can also read the UOC feature, the IndustriAmbiente article and the SpinUOC 2026 awards.