Watch this video externally on:
YouTube
CIRC-PACK (Towards circular economy in the plastic packaging value chain) is a three-year EU-funded project that aims to develop a more sustainable, efficient, competitive, less fossil fuel dependent, integrated and interconnected plastic value chain.
To this end, the consortium will work in the following three areas with three demo cases:
- decoupling the chain from fossil feedstock;
- introducing innovative formats and reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging; and
- creating an effective after-use plastics economy.
The CIRC-PACK project will provide breakthrough biodegradable plastics using alternative bio-based raw materials, which will have an instrumental role to play along the plastic value chain. In addition, smart eco-design measures will be developed and adapted also to the new bio-based materials previously developed, to facilitate the collection and recycling of multilayer and multi-material packaging. These innovations will contribute to greatly reduce the packaging footprint, by increasing the bio-based content and using compostable materials.
Finally, a multi-sectorial approach along the plastic packaging value chain will be applied, which will have critical impacts also in other value chains (automotive and absorbents), increasing the typology of materials, valuable sub-products and the amount of recycled materials used.
All CIRC-PACK activities will be supported by non-technological and advanced methodological analysis in order to facilitate the transition from the current linear plastic packaging value chain to circular economy principles, which will trigger a broad deployment of the tested solutions.
In addition, awareness raising activities targeting consumers and related stakeholders will boost an enabling regulatory environment, the replicability of developed solutions and the adoption of new business models.
The CIRC-PACK project is in line with the objectives of the platform representing Plastics Recyclers Europe and the PPP Bio-based Industries, as well as with European Commission´s challenges regarding a better management of waste, expecting an increase of the collecting rate up to 48% and a reduction of landfilling rate up to 15% by 2020.
Watch this video externally on:
YouTube
Click here to see their publication.
Source: CIRCA-PACK
