The Fraunhofer Umsicht has been commissioned by Forum Rezyklat to develop a business game on the topic of circular economy. The aim of the game is to work with companies to identify practical solutions for closed packaging cycles for which there are currently no circular material flows. The implementation of a circular economy in the packaging sector requires close cooperation along the entire value chain. The aim of the Recyclate Forum for a Sustainable Packaging Cycle is to work together to develop practical solutions for closed-loop packaging systems and make them available to all stakeholders. Established cycles already exist on the market for the material flows of paper, cardboard, paperboard, glass and the plastic PET. Fraunhofer Umsicht was therefore commissioned by the Recyclate Forum to work with member companies to identify current challenges for the further development of the packaging cycle and to develop concrete options for action. Within the framework of a simulation game, the Recyclate Forum focused on material flows for which there is not yet a functioning circular economy.
Member survey and backcasting: circular economy 2035
In conducting the survey, Fraunhofer Umsicht relied on methods that promote exchange between stakeholders, enable creative approaches to solutions and facilitate decision-making. First, all member companies of the Forum were involved in the planning game process through a preliminary survey. The representative survey included 19 qualitative and quantitative questions. Of the approximately 70 member companies of the Forum Rezyklat, 50 representatives took part. The steering team of the forum then had the task of prioritising the fields of action and identifying the relevant white spots that are necessary to close cycles in the future scenario. To this end, Fraunhofer Umsicht conducted the simulation game with the team as a three-hour face-to-face workshop.
The methodological core was the backcasting method, the content was based on the previously conducted member survey, supplemented by results from the forum's strategy process. The data was to be prepared and integrated into the game in such a way that it could be quickly and easily grasped by the participants, in order to ensure an efficient, transparent and participatory approach.
PPWR as basis
At the beginning, the steering team agreed in an open discussion on the year 2035 as the critical year for achieving the target. The EU's “Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation”, or PPWR for short, and the target periods it sets out, served as a basis for this. The analysis, which was prepared with the survey and carried out during the simulation, primarily resulted in the prioritization of the material flow of polypropylene flex materials, or PP-flex for short. This material is considered particularly relevant for closing loops. Further activities are now aimed at developing the necessary parameters for closing the recycling loop for PP-flex.
Challenges and solutions for sustainable packaging
The forum sees a number of measures as essential approaches to improving the recycling of PP-flex. These include the development of economic incentive systems, a stronger focus on recycling-friendly design, and the promotion of monomaterials. At the same time, existing research gaps, for example in the area of the separability of printing inks, should be closed. Closer collaboration with external experts from business and science is also considered crucial to success.
Challenges on the road to a circular economy by 2035
As part of the simulation, the experts involved also identified several challenges that must be resolved by 2035 in order to achieve the desired circular economy. In the area of technology, further improvements in sorting and recycling processes are necessary in order to produce high-quality PP-flex recyclates. On the market side, it has been determined that changing consumer awareness and the current economic conditions are limiting the demand for recyclates, while the supply is increasing. Furthermore, it is expected that recyclates will remain more expensive than virgin materials in the medium term.
