
Kim Ragaert is full professor at Maastricht University, holding the key domain chair of Circular Plastics within the department Circular Chemical Engineering (CCE).
Her Circular Plastics lab and research group are on the Chemelot industrial site in Sittard-Geleen, NL. Research topics include concepts of quality for recycling, the macromolecular interactions in complex mixes, the effects of contaminations and degradation, design for & from recycling and the balance between different recycling pathways. Interdisciplinary topics include systems thinking for plastics, cost calculation in recycling and how to connect technical quality to LCA.
Kim is a strong believer in value-chain cooperation and interdisciplinary research. She consults for organizations like Plastics Europe, Plastics Recyclers Europe, CEFLEX and ECOS, and works closely with several industrial partners. Kim was the 2020 European Plastics Recycling Ambassador and co-chair of the steering committee on the 2022 ReShaping Plastics report.