CIRC-PACK - 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 1) decoupling the chain from fossil feedstock, 2) reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging; and 3) creating an effective after-use plastics economy. 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. CIRC-PACK will enable a breakthrough of biodegradable plastics using alternative biobased raw materials, which will have an instrumental role to play in the subsequence steps of the plastic value chain. Eco-design packaging for improving and multilayer and multicomponent packaging will be technologically advanced and adapted also to the new materials produced. Thus these developments will contribute with great impact to the packaging footprint, and increase of the biobased content and use of 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. CIRC-PACK will last from the 1st of May 2017 to 30th of April 2020.

Total cost of the project is 9.252.466, 25€, with 7.308.180, 13€ of EU contribution. This project is funded through Innovation action scheme of the Horizon 2020, under the grant agreement number 730423.

• CIRC-PACK Official website
• European Commission – CORDIS – CIRC-PACK