From #plasticfree to future-proof plastics

The drawbacks and benefits of plastics

Plastics are shrouded in controversial debates. While manufacturers highlight their benefits, more and more stakeholders refer to the problems associated with them.

TNO and Fraunhofer UMSICHT conclude that plastics will and should remain an important part of our economy and our daily lives. Therefore, their use must be carefully considered, their disadvantages eliminated and their impact on the environment mitigated.

In the webinar on June 5, 2023 the institutes presented the results of their white paper: How a future-proof, circular and sustainable plastics economy should look like.

To do so, they addressed manifold questions, such as:

• In which applications can plastics be refused or replaced?
• How do plastics need to be designed, used and recycled in the future?
• How can we take advantage of plastics' benefits while solving their drawbacks?
• Does the solution help in reaching the overarching goals: Achieve climate neutrality, zero pollution and technological sovereignty?
• What actions need to be taken?

All these questions were answered from an independent point of view based on trusted data.

Programme

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner Head of Institute Fraunhofer UMSICHT did the introduction of the webinar
• Dr.-Ing. Stephan Kabasci Strategic Project Development Circular Economy (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) discussed the disadvantages and advantages of plastics
• Dr. Jan Harm Urbanus Senior Scientist (TNO) and Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Bertling (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) discussed the future plastic economy - from hierarchy to strategy
• Dr. Esther van den Beuken (TNO) discussed the actions to be taken for transitions to a sustainable circular plastic economy
• The webinar ended with questions and answers