Towards circular economy in the plastic packaging value chain
CIRC-PACK project aims at more sustainable, efficient, competitive, less fossil fuel dependence, integrated and interconnected plastic packaging value chain. To this end, three case studies will work in developing, testing and validating better system-wide economic and environmental outcomes by i) decoupling the chain from fossil feedstocks, (ii) reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging; and (iii) 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 broadly deployment of the tested solutions.  CIRC-PACK project will provide breakthrough biodegradable plastics using alternative biobased raw materials, which will have an instrumental role to play in the subsequence steps of the plastic value chain. In addition, eco-design packaging for improving and end-of-life multilayer and multicomponent packaging will be technologically advanced and adapted also to the new materials produced. Thus these developments will also contribute with a great impact in the packaging footprint, and increasing the biobased content and using compostable materials. Lastly, a multi-sectorial cascaded approach along 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.