Reduction measures

Article download (in German)

Ergebnistyp

Further products

Wege zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit Kunststoffen

linda.mederake@ecologic.eu — Tue, 03 May 2022 10:13:46 +0000

Wege zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit Kunststoffen linda.mederake… Tue, 05/03/2022 - 12:13

Untertitel

Kernbotschaften sozialwissenschaftlicher Forschung

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Beschreibung

The volume of plastics entering the environment is growing worldwide. Since existing regulations are not sufficient to curb the problem, the ever-increasing plastic production and use must be reduced. A systemic approach is needed that holds all actors responsible who produce, use, recycle, dispose and trade in plastic products and packaging. Policymakers must drive the necessary paradigm shift and facilitate a sufficiency debate across society.

This article summarizes the results of the social science research conducted as part of the research focus in 11 key messages. The results were developed in the course of the following joint research projects (or their social science sub-projects): ENSURE, Innoredux, InRePlast, PlastikBudget, PlastikNet, PLASTRAT, PLAWES, REPLAWA, SubµTrack and VerPlaPoS.

Further Links

DOI

https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.31.1.12

Magazine

GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society

Year

2022

Type of Result

(scientific) publications (peer-review, essays, book chapters, poster etc.)

Citation

Beyerl, Katharina; Bogner, Franz; Daskalakis, Maria; Decker, Thomas; Hentschel, Anja; Hinzmann, Mandy; Loges, Bastian; Knoblauch, Doris; Mederake, Linda; Müller,, Ruth; Rubik, Frieder; Schweiger, Stefan; Stieß, Immanuel (2022): Wege zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit Kunststoffen. Kernbotschaften sozialwissenschaftlicher Forschung. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 31(1), 51-53.

Tags

Awareness raising

Social perception

Governance

minimization strategies

Factsheet 6 of the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment.

Publikationstyp

Querschnittsthema

Factsheet 6: Recycling von PET-Verpackungen - Innovatives PET-Recycling aus Mehrschichtverbunden

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Tue, 04 May 2021 09:30:25 +0000

Factsheet 6: Recycling PET packaging - Innovative PET recycling of multilayer composites janna.vakili@e… Tue, 05/04/2021 - 11:30

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Beschreibung

Most consumers are familiar with PET from the supermarket. In addition to beverage bottles, PET can be found in packaging trays for cheese, salads, fruit, meat or fish. Each foodstuff places its own demands on the plastic packaging. As a result, most plastic packaging is a mixture of different plastics with suitable properties.

While this has a positive effect on the transport possibilities and shelf life of the foodstuffs, these composite materials cannot be recycled or can only be recycled with great difficulty. This is where the 6th factsheet comes in and presents the innovative revolPET® technology. This process, developed in the revolPET joint project, allows selective depolymerization of the PET content and high-quality production of PET. It thereby takes an important place on the way towards a circular economy.

The factsheet is available here for PDF download.

Attachments

Joint project

revolPET

Year

2021

Author

Authors

Carsten Eichert

Lars Biermanns

Vitalij Salikov

Esther Brepohl

Clemens Müller

Mandy Paschetag

Stephan Scholl

Type of Result

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Citation

Eichert, Carsten; Biermann, Lars; Salikov, Vitalij; Brepohl, Esther; Müller, Clemens; Paschetag, Mandy; Scholl, Stephan (2021): Recycling PET packaging: Innovative PET recycling of multilayer composites. Fact sheet 6 of the BMBF research focus „Plastics in the Environment“.

Tags

Decomposition products

Polymer

Resource conservation

Publikationstyp

Factsheet 3: Einkauf unverpackter Lebensmittel - Ergebnisse einer Kund*innen-Umfrage

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 13:00:12 +0000

Factsheet 3: Purchasing unpackaged products - Results of a customer survey janna.vakili@e… Thu, 04/08/2021 - 15:00

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Beschreibung

We encounter plastic in many forms and functions in everyday life. Especially in supermarkets, extensive plastic packaging often catches the eye of consumers. However, the desire to shop with less packaging does not always translate into the use of more sustainable products.

In this context, the survey presented in the third factsheet deals with shopping habits when buying unpackaged products. The aim of the survey was to find out to what extent customers accept not using packaging and what potential unpackaged products offer.

The survey was conducted as part of the joint project Innoredux. The project uses a real-lab research approach to develop innovative packaging solutions to avoid or reduce plastic waste along the value chain.

The factsheet is available here for PDF download.

Attachments

Factsheet 4 of the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment.

Joint project

Innoredux

Year

2021

Author

Gesa Marken

Frieder Rubik

Authors

Type of Result

Citation

Marken, Gesa; Rubik, Frieder (2021): Purchasing unpackaged products: Results of a customer survey. Fact sheet 3 of the BMBF research focus „Plastics in the Environment“.

Tags

Factsheet 2 of the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment.

Publikationstyp

Querschnittsthema

Factsheet 2: Wertvoller Alt-Kunststoff - Schwimmende Recyclinganlage verwertet Plastik bevor er ins Meer gelangt

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 09:18:56 +0000

Factsheet 2: Valuable waste plastic - Floating recycling plant recovers plastics before they enter the sea janna.vakili@e… Fri, 03/05/2021 - 10:18

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Beschreibung

In this factsheet, joint project KuWert shows how plastic recycling can be profitable. The research team developed a floating recycling platform, mobile and independent of local structures. The system was tested in coastal cities in West Africa, where a lot of plastic ends up in the sea.

Since high-quality plastic recyclate can only be obtained from clean and pre-sorted old plastic, the team worked with a large number of plastic collectors on land and processors on board. This not only created employment, but also prevented over 60,000 tons of plastic per year from ending up in the oceans. At the same time, value chains were established and a contribution made to climate protection.

The contents of the factsheet are based on research results of the joint project KuWert "Ship-based treatment of plastics for the implementation of value chains". It is available here for PDF download.

Attachments

Further Links

Verbundprojekt KuWert

Joint project

KuWert

Year

2021

Author

Fridtjof Rohde

Type of Result

Citation

Rohde, Fridtjof (2021): Valuable waste plastic: Floating recycling plant recovers plastics before they enter the sea. Fact sheet 2 of the BMBF research focus „Plastics in the Environment“.

Publikationstyp

Factsheet 1 of the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment.

Factsheet 1: Plastikverpackungen - Welche Einsparmöglichkeiten gibt es beim Kleiderkauf?

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 13:38:16 +0000

Factsheet 1: Plastic Packaging - What are the possibilities for reducing waste when buying clothes? janna.vakili@e… Wed, 02/10/2021 - 14:38

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Beschreibung

The first factsheet of the research focus is dealing with the question of how consumers can save plastic when buying clothes. It is often difficult to know how much plastic is produced along the textile value chain, before a product arrives in the store. Due to this lack of visibility, it is usually not possible for consumers to estimate the actual amount of packaging of a garment and to act accordingly. The factsheet picks up on this issue and explains at which points in the supply chain plastic packaging waste is generated. It also discusses the role of industry and consumers in this context and points out avoidance strategies.

The contents of the factsheet are based on research results of the joint project VerPlaPoS. The factsheet is available here for PDF download.

Attachments

Joint project

VerPlaPoS

Year

2021

Type of Result

Citation

Decker, Thomas; Lippl, Maria; Frommeyer, Britta; Koch, Julia; von Gehlen, Kristina; Tornow, Maren; Habermehl, Tabea; Niedermeier, Andreas (2021): Plastic Packaging: What are the possibilities for reducing waste when buying clothes? Fact sheet 1 of the BMBF research focus „Plastics in the Environment“.

Publikationstyp

Prasanna Ramesh (Programming)

Querschnittsthema

QST 4

Quiz: Plastik in der Umwelt - Was wissen Sie?

Mandy — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 11:21:04 +0000

Quiz: Plastic in the Environment – What do you know? Mandy Thu, 01/14/2021 - 12:21

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Beschreibung

When I wash a polyester fleece jacket, can microplastics get into the water? How many climate-damaging greenhouse gases are released annually due to the global production of plastics and what is chemical recycling?

Plastics are all around us and make up an essential part of our daily lives. How much do we know about this material, its variety, the associated environmental problems and possible solutions? The quiz "Plastics in the environment - What do you know?" invites you to test your knowledge around the topic of plastics in five categories. Furthermore, the category "Questions for adults & children" contains questions suited for children.

The quiz was developed within this research focus. The quiz is available on this website and is suitable for all common browsers on computers and mobile devices.

Further Links

Link zum Quiz

Year

2020

Author

Mandy Hinzmann (Content)

Janna Vakili (Content)

Lena Aebli (Design)

Authors

Type of Result

educational material

Tags

Publikationstyp

Publisher's page for the anthology "Einfach weglassen".

Plastikvermeidung auf kommunaler Ebene

linda.mederake@ecologic.eu — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 11:22:05 +0000

Plastic waste prevention at the municipal level linda.mederake… Tue, 01/05/2021 - 12:22

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Beschreibung

The discussion about plastic waste is anything but new for German municipalities. In fact, as early as the 1980s, numerous German municipalities were experimenting with plastic waste prevention regulations and waste prevention in general. A further impetus for plastic waste prevention was provided in the early 1990s with the discussions on the introduction of a nationwide packaging ordinance. After almost three decades of stagnation - including setbacks with regard to the expansion of return systems and the increase of single-use packaging - the issue of plastic prevention and packaging reduction in municipalities is now receiving renewed attention as a result of increased societal awareness and political regulations at EU level.

This book chapter by Linda Mederake (Ecologic Institute) and Dorothea Seeger (BUND) deals with the possibilities for municipal action to avoid plastics. These options range from information and awareness-raising activities to political decisions, regulatory requirements and public procurement as a driver of packaging reduction. The authors point out that the greatest untapped potential for reducing packaging waste at the municipal level lies in the areas of informal administrative action and public procurement.

The best practice examples presented in this article show that it is possible to do things differently. In addition, private-sector and civil-society initiatives can harness additional potential for plastic prevention.

Further Links

ISBN

978-3-96238-243-8

Year

2020

Author

Authors

Linda Mederake

Dorothea Seeger

Type of Result

(scientific) publications (peer-review, essays, book chapters, poster etc.)

Citation

Mederake, Linda; Seeger, Dorothea (2020): Plastikvermeidung auf kommunaler Ebene. In: Kröger, Melanie; Pape, Jens; Wittwer, Alexandra (eds.) (2020): Einfach weglassen? Ein wissenschaftliches Lesebuch zur Reduktion von Plastikverpackungen im Lebensmittelhandel. ISBN: 978-3-96238-243-8. Oekom Verlag, München.

Tags

Link to publication (in German)

Publikationstyp

Umweltproblem Plastikverpackung

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 11:07:11 +0000

Environmental problem: plastic packaging janna.vakili@e… Tue, 11/24/2020 - 12:07

Untertitel

Emergence in Germany and environmental impact

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Beschreibung

Numerous one- to two-person households, an increase in mail-order business as well as the popular "to-go" culture are causing a steady rise in the consumption of plastic packaging in Germany. While approximately 1.8 million tons of plastic were produced per year in 2000, this figure had already risen to 3.1 million tons by 2016. Plastic packaging and the environmental consequences of plastic production and consumption are currently of high importance on the political agenda – yet, increased social awareness of the problem has done little to counter plastic consumption so far.

This article by Doris Knoblauch and Hannes Schritt (both Ecologic Institute) is part of the anthology "Einfach weglassen? Ein wissenschaftliches Lesebuch zur Reduktion von Plastikverpackungen im Lebensmittelhandel" (Simply Omit? A Scientific Reader on the Reduction of Plastic Packaging in the Food Trade). It deals with the emergence of plastic packaging in Germany and its known environmental impacts. The authors demonstrate that there is a close correlation between the amount of plastic packaging produced and the gross domestic product (GDP) - which, interestingly, is stronger than the correlation between GDP and packaging overall. In this context, avoidance strategies and improvement options for the circular economy are discussed.

Furthermore, an overview of input pathways and main input sources of plastic into the environment is given. The state of knowledge on the effects of plastic on the environment and the human body is presented. It becomes clear that there are still research deficits, especially with regard to microplastics.

The publication is available on this website.

Further Links

Ecologic Institute

ISBN

978-3-96238-243-8

Year

2020

Author

Doris Knoblauch

Hannes Schritt

Authors

Type of Result

(scientific) publications (peer-review, essays, book chapters, poster etc.)

Citation

Knoblauch, Doris; Schritt, Hannes (2020): Umweltproblem Plastikverpackung.Aufkommen in Deutschland und Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt. In: Kröger, Melanie; Pape, Jens; Wittwer, Alexandra (Hrsg.) (2020): Einfach weglassen? Ein wissenschaftliches Lesebuch zur Reduktion von Plastikverpackungen im Lebensmittelhandel. ISBN: 978-3-96238-243-8. Oekom Verlag, München.

Tags

Environmental sustainability

Polymer

Recyclate

Recycling

Publikationstyp

Ansätze einer nachhaltigkeitsorientierten Verpackungsoptimierung

linda.mederake@ecologic.eu — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:14:35 +0000

Approaches to sustainability-oriented packaging optimisation linda.mederake… Wed, 07/22/2020 - 11:14

Untertitel

Implications for retail business models

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Beschreibung

Packaging volumes are continuously increasing in Germany. Plastic packaging, with its short lifespan and low global recycling rates, contributes to the accumulation of macro and micro plastics in the environment. Merely switching to glass and cardboard packaging does not appear to be an appropriate solution, as LCA studies suggest. Instead a reduced production of packaging contributes to mitigating the problem, thus opening a field of action for retail companies.

The report describes the possible consequences of introducing new packaging solutions in a differentiated manner at business model level with the help of the Business Model Canvas (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2011) and uses it to develop types of packaging-reducing business models in the retail trade. The types differ according to the value-added stage (delivery/storage vs. sale/disposal) and to some extent according to the type of retail trade (bricks-and-mortar vs. online) and thus take transport, product and shipping packaging into account equally. The Business Model Canvas is a tool widely known among practitioners and should increase the probability of a convenient application in companies. Managers can explore which packaging innovations are suitable for their company and assess which changes would go hand in hand with them. This reduces uncertainties in the otherwise complex innovation processes.

Attachments

Download Report (pdf, in German)

Joint project

Innoredux

Year

2020

Author

Authors

Sabrina Schmidt

Carola Bick

Frieder Rubik

Type of Result

(scientific) publications (peer-review, essays, book chapters, poster etc.)

Citation

Sabrina Schmidt, Carola Bick, Frieder Rubik (2020): Ansätze einer nachhaltigkeitsorientierten Verpackungsoptimierung: Implikationen für Geschäftsmodelle im Einzelhandel. Report of the joint research project Innoredux.

Tags

Innovation management