Towards circular economy in the plastic packaging value chain

CIRC-PACK
ACTIVITY INFORMATION
What we are doing

Plastics production has surged over the past 50 years, from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million tonnes in 2014, and is expected to double again over the next 20 years, as plastics come to serve increasingly many applications. Europe is the second largest producer of plastics materials in the world (after China), producing 20% of thermoplastics and polyurethanes. Plastics Europe indicated that the latter year, plastics demand in Europe was 47.8 Mt, what highlights the importance of this sector. Plastic packaging represents 39.5% of European plastics demand. The plastic packaging value chain covers the whole material cycle, from polymer production to its final disposal. The improvements to be developed within CIRC-PACK aim at reaching near zero plastics to landfill, which might result in a new plastic packaging value chain. CIRC-PACK will analyse the whole current plastic packaging value chain (from feedstock development to plastic waste sorting and recycling or discarding processes), as well as identify legal restrictions, bottlenecks and other non-technological barriers that hamper the optimisation of this value chain. Local governments participated in CIRC-PACK to test and validate the final phase of the plastics value chain and provide insights into the plastic waste sorting.

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What we are achieving

ICLEI developed a detailed and agile dissemination, communication and awareness plan at the beginning of the project, being periodically updated and deployed along the project life cycle (e.g. Updates of social media, website, newsletter, and other promotional opportunities, Creation of dissemination materials like leaflets, posters, templates, business cards etc.. The aim of this activity was to reach the widest possible community through various channels and instruments. Besides it helped assure alignment and synergies with other international initiatives related to plastic waste recovery solutions and technologies, and provided training for the professionals and staff working with these solutions and technologies.

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Related ICLEI Pathways
  • Nature-based development
  • Resilient development
  • Zero emission development
Related SDGs
Focus Areas
Partners

AITIIP Zaragoza Technology Center, Asturian Energy Foundation, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energy Environment Agency, BUMAGA, Calaf Industrial, CIRCE Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption, Ecoembalajes Espana, Ekodenge, Energy Management Agency Maramures, EPTA Environmental Engineers Consultants, European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment, Fater, Fiat Research Center, LENERG Hungarian Energy Agency Engineering and Consulting Nonprofit Ltd., Mater Biopolymer, Mater Biotech, Mi-plast, North Croatia Regional Energy Agency, Novamont, OCU Spanish Users and Consumers Organization, Plastipolis, Regional Agency for Energy and Environment of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Rina Consulting, SADA Group, Saponia, Spanish Association for Standardisation, Tecnopackaging, Upper Styria Energy Agency