Tracing Plastic: Opportunities and Barriers to a Fair, Transparent Circular Economy

How can we use resources more efficiently and fairly? This question will be addressed over four days starting on 2nd September at the World Resources Forum 2025: two days on site in Geneva, followed by two more days of scientific online sessions.

The Wuppertal Institut is also contributing to the forum. Together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ, English roughly German Society for International Cooperation), the Institute is organising an online session titled "Tracing Plastic – Opportunities and Challenges for a Just and Transparent Circular Economy" on 4 September at 1 p.m.
In a livestream, circular economy experts will discuss the opportunities that digitalisation – especially material tracking approaches – offer for improved recycling. They will also highlight aspects of social and global justice: Digital tools for material traceability – such as digital product passports or blockchain-based systems – are constantly being refined, but their implementation often lacks inclusivity and international coordination. Prof. Dr. Henning Wilts, Director of the Circular Economy Research Division at the Wuppertal Institute, explains in the introduction why a lack of transparency is a key challenge for the use of circular plastics. Dr. Holger Berg, Vice-Director of the same Research Division and Co-Head of the Digital Transformation Research Unit, answers the question of whether digital product passports are suitable for solving both the technical and social problems in the plastics sector.

The online session will be held in English, participation is free of charge. Further information and the link to the livestream are available via the link below. The forum is organised by the World Resources Association, a non-profit organisation.