Three three case studies will work in developing, testing and validating better system-wide economic and environmental outcomes by:
 

• decoupling the chain from fossil feedstocks;
• reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging;
• creating an effective after-use plastics economy

All in all, the work will be supported by non-technological analysis and advanced methodological analysis (including circular economy and industrial symbiosis principles), which will trigger a broad deployment of the tested solutions. The eco-design packaging for improving end-of-life multilayer and multicomponent packaging will be technologically advanced and adapted to the new materials produced. Thus, these developments will also contribute to the packaging footprint and will increase the biobased content and use compostable materials. Finally, a multi-sectorial cascaded approach along the plastic packaging value chain will be applied with critical impacts in other value chains beyond the targeted plastic packaging value chain. The overall outcome of the project will facilitate the transition from the current linear plastic packaging value chain to circular economy principles.

The CIRC-PACK project demonstrated a range of biodegradable and compostable bio-polymer formulations with a high content of renewable sources, eco-friendly packaging designs tested by industry and consumers, and novel methods to increase an overall recyclability of plastic waste. A multi-sectorial approach along the plastic packaging value chain was applied, having impacts also in other value chains (automotive and absorbents), increasing the typology of materials, valuable sub-products and the amount of recycled materials used. The project is of value to cities and regions working on a Circular Systemic Solution focused on plastics and its system-wide applications, waste management and valorisation, and circular bioeconomy.

The project produced a number of relevant and useful outputs (based on pilot use cases), including:

• Roadmap for replicability of new plastic packaging value chain across the EU (Assessment of replicability and potential impacts in terms of circularity improvement of the innovations tested in the demo cases, including a feasibility study at economic, technical and social level).
• Technical report on state-of-the-art of value chain scenario assessment (including an overview of existing sustainability (environmental, economic and social) and circularity indicators; analysis of the existing practices for value chain scenario assessment methodologies with respect to their potential for replication under CIRC-PACK (i.e. the circular plastics packaging value chain).

Programme:

• H2020-EU.3.5. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Topic:

• CIRC-01-2016-2017 - Systemic, eco-innovative approaches for the circular economy: large-scale demonstration projects

€ 9 254 177.86 (EU contribution: € 7 308 180.13)

Fundacion Circe Centro de Investigacion de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos

Contact the project

• Fundacion Aitiip
• Novamont SPA
• Mater-Biotech SPA
• Mater-Biopolymer SRL
• Bumaga BV
• Nuevas Tecnologias para el Desarrollo de Packaging y Productos Agroalimentarios con Componente Plastica Sl
• Mi-Plast doo za Proizvodnju
• Trgovinu i Pruzanje Usluga
• Grupo Sada P A SA
• Saponia Kemijska
• Prehrambena I Farmaceutska Industria D.D.2
• Fater S.P.A.
• Centro Ricerche Fiat SCPA
• Asociacion Espanola de Normalizacion
• Rina Consulting SPA
• Ekodenge Muhendislik Mimarlik Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi
• Ecoembalajes Espana
• S.A.; Grad Rijeka
• Kartal Belediye Baskanligi
• Calaf Tecniques Industrials Sl
• Ocu Ediciones SA
• ICLEI European Secretariat GmbH (ICLEI Europasekretariat GmbH)
• Polymeris