Design and standards for recycling

Plastic packaging accounts for almost 40 per cent of global plastic production and, due to its short life cycles, its recycling is considered a key factor for a functioning circular economy. Despite increasing collection volumes, only a small proportion has so far entered the market as high-quality recyclate. In the study "Enhancement in Post-Consumer Mechanical Recycling of Plastics: Role of Design for Recycling, Specifications, and Efficient Sorting of Packaging Material", Austrian scientists examined three key levers for high-quality plastics recycling: Design for Recycling (DfR), binding specifications and efficient sorting technologies. Their interaction determines whether material flows are routed in closed loops or downcycled into inferior applications. The study was published in "Polymers".