Waste reduction

Eine Kreislaufwirtschaft für Kunststoffe – Aktuelle Diskussionen, Trends und politische Herausforderungen

linda.mederake@ecologic.eu — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 12:59:35 +0000

A circular plastics economy - Current discussions, trends and political challenges linda.mederake… Wed, 02/23/2022 - 13:59

Untertitel

A reflection of the Tutzing Symposion 2021 „Polymers for a better life and circular economy“

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Beschreibung

The article reflects on the 59th Tutzing Symposion entitled "Polymers for a better life and circular economy" that took place as an online event in October 2021. Based on the presentations at the symposium, the contribution provides an overview of current debates on the circular plastics economy, as well as insights into existing political regulations, present challenges, and possible future developments with regard to this major societal project.

Among other topics, the article addresses the comparability of life cycle assessments, (chemical) recycling, and challenges in developing new business models. It also addresses the material and political limits of the circular economy and criticizes attempts to locate the responsibility for solving the plastic problem mainly in the individual behavior of citizens. Looking at existing regulations and policy initiatives at national, European and international levels, the article states the lack of a holistic, overarching approach. The article concludes with an appeal for more exchange and discussions between industry, politics and authorities as well as civil society in the political decision-making process.

Further Links

Article (restricted access)

DOI

https://doi.org/10.37307/j.1863-9763.2022.02.05

Magazine

Müll und Abfall

Year

2022

Author

Linda Mederake

Publisher

Erich Schmidt Verlag (ESV), Germany

Type of Result

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

Citation

Mederake, Linda (2022): Eine Kreislaufwirtschaft für Kunststoffe – Aktuelle Diskussionen, Trends und politische Herausforderungen. Eine Reflexion des Tutzing Symposions 2021 „Polymers for a better life and circular economy“. In: Müll und Abfall, 54 (2), 77-83.

Tags

Waste reduction

Social perception

Governance

Industry

Consumption

Strategy on plastics

Life Cycle Assessment

Environmental accounting

Reduction of plastic use

Prevention of plastics

Recycling

Regulation

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

factsheets

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

Reduction of plastic use

Prevention of plastics

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

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

Further Links

Verbundprojekt KuWert

Joint project

KuWert

Year

2021

Author

Fridtjof Rohde

Type of Result

factsheets

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

Ergebnis

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

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

Joint project

VerPlaPoS

Year

2021

Type of Result

factsheets

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

Ergebnis

Querschnittsthema

QST 4

Special Issue "Plastic Contamination: Challenges and Solutions"

hannes.schritt@ecologic.eu — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 09:11:32 +0000

Special Issue "Plastic Contamination: Challenges and Solutions" hannes.schritt… Tue, 01/19/2021 - 10:11

Further Links

For more information click here

Beschreibung

The Special Issue on “Plastic Contamination: Challenges and Solutions” focus on addressing all aspects of plastics

Plastics are popular synthetic materials due to their advantageous properties, such as low density and high durability, which have led to their increased use in multiple applications. Either in larger or smaller sizes, known as microplastics and nanoplastics, plastics are continuously released to the environment, where they accumulate due to their resistance to degradation. For this reason, plastics now contaminate virtually every ecosystem on the planet, being considered a marker for the Anthropocene. The accumulation of plastics in the environment can have negative effects on organisms and ecosystems directly through toxicity, or indirectly through habitat changes. Most of this contamination originates from an unsustainable use and management of plastics, from production to consumption and disposal, which needs to be restructured in the context of a circular economy.

This Special Issue invites novel contributions in the form of critical reviews and research papers to address all aspects of plastics, such as: (i) strategies or technologies to improve the production, use, and waste management of plastics; (ii) analytical methods for the assessment of micro/nanoplastics; (iii) concentrations and characteristics of micro/nanoplastics in the environment; (iv) ecotoxicological or abiotic effects of micro/nanoplastics; (v) the role of micro/nanoplastics as vectors of contaminants and pathogens. This Special Issue also welcomes contributions regarding changes in plastics policies, consumption, incorrect disposal, and waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deadline for manuscript submission is 1 April 2021. You may send your manuscript now or up until the deadline. Submitted papers should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. We also encourage authors to send a short abstract or tentative title to the Editorial Office in advance (environments@mdpi.com or lucine.lin@mdpi.com).

Date

01 April 2021

Tags

Date sort

Thu, 04/01/2021 - 12:00

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Bildergalerie

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

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

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

Reduction of plastic use

Prevention of plastics

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

Link to publication (in German)

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

Reduction of plastic use

Prevention of plastics

Polymer

Recyclate

Recycling

Environmental sustainability

Publikationstyp

ICEC 2020: Circulus - Science for a Circular Economy (Online Event)

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:42:34 +0000

ICEC 2020: Circulus - Science for a Circular Economy (Online Event) janna.vakili@e… Fri, 11/15/2019 - 12:42

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Beschreibung

The Circulus conference aims to open the current circular economy debates more towards critical engagement with the socio-political realities that circular economy efforts face and the multi-faceted effects of implementation. The conference seeks to provide policy and practice with the critical insights needed to achieve socio-ecologically sustainable outcomes.

Conference topics:

Power, Politics & Policy Design
Law and Regulatory Governance
Social Justice & Good Labour Practices
Circular Cities & Urban Planning
Concepts & Monitoring Tools
Towards a Circular Bioeconomy
Trade & Global Supply Chains
Business Models, Innovation, Design

Circulus calls for contributions from all disciplines that critically explore prospects, potentials, and limitations of CE initiatives for social justice and environmental sustainability.

Important dates:
15 October 2020: Revised abstract submission deadline (for already accepted abstracts)
15 March- 15 October 2020: Registration period
Registration is free of charge.

Registration is possible via the event's website.

Location

Freiburg, Germany

Organiser

University of Freiburg - Chair of Societal Transition & Circular Economy

Date

30 November - 03 December 2020

30. November - 03. Dezember 2020

Further Links

Website of the event

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Date sort

Mon, 11/30/2020 - 12:00

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Verschoben: RECYCLING-TECHNIK Dortmund 2022

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:07:27 +0000

Postponed: RECYCLING-TECHNIK Dortmund 2022 janna.vakili@e… Fri, 11/08/2019 - 17:07

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Beschreibung

At the trade fair for recycling technologies, exhibitors present their latest technologies and solutions for the recycling and disposal of waste products. This provides the opportunity to encounter the latest and most innovative specialist presentations.

Booth bookings can be made via the event's website .

Location

Dortmund, Germany

Organiser

Easyfairs Germany GmbH

Date

22 - 23 June 2022

22. - 23. Juni 2022

Further Links

Website of the event

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Date sort

Wed, 06/22/2022 - 12:00

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10th International Conference on Waste Management and the Environment (Online Event)

janna.vakili@ecologic.eu — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:02:32 +0000

10th International Conference on Waste Management and the Environment janna.vakili@e… Fri, 11/08/2019 - 14:02

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Beschreibung

Waste Management is one of the key problems of modern society due to the ever-expanding volume and complexity of discarded domestic and industrial waste. The 10th International Conference on Waste Management and the Environment attempts to find solutions to this problem and provides a forum for the exchange of scientific knowledge and the current situation of waste management between experts, researchers, government agencies and local authorities.

This event is held as an online event due to Covid-19. More information can be found on the event's website.

Location

Online

Organiser

Wessex Institute

Nagoya University, Japan

University of Naples Parthenope, Italy

Date

07 - 09 July 2020

07. - 09. Juli 2020

Further Links

Website of the event