innoCErt

Manufacturers are increasingly advertising the recyclability of their product packaging, aiming  to demonstrate a high level of environmental sustainability. However, the question arises whether the recyclability of packaging is sufficient as a label and assessment standard for ecological packaging. An assessment of its circular economy capability, which takes into account reuse and recyclability of both disposable and reusable (plastic) packaging in the food sector, could promote ecologically ambitious packaging solutions and create new incentives. This is where the innoCErt project comes in. Through the use of real laboratories as innovation research spaces, the project partners from the (waste disposal), research and standardisation sector are generating an improved knowledge base for the use phase of packaging solutions, developing evaluation and test procedures for circular economy capability and connecting stakeholders for innovative packaging solutions in  innovation workshops. The project further utilises a policy dialogue for packaging avoidance to flesh out certifications as an incentive and control instrument while determining necessary political framework conditions.

Within this project, the researchers of the Wuppertal Institute are involved in evaluating the extended assessment of the circular economy capability of packaging solutions, packaging innovations and the policy dialogue on strengthening packaging avoidance.