Project communication and cooperation

Attero continued working together with stakeholders for dissemination of its lessons learned to stimulate the circular economy for flexible packaging in line with the goals of the AGANFOILS project. Relevant knowledge is shared with stakeholders in the Netherlands and across Europe during events, visits and in different projects. These stakeholders can use this knowledge to decide if they would like to consider replicability of our project. Attero has renamed its AGANFOILS plant into Polymer Recycling Plant (PRP). Attero is always open for cooperation and partnership in relevant projects.

Dessimination and communication

Throughout the project Attero organized or participated in several dissemination and communication activities. Here is an example of events that have been organized during the project’s lifetime:

• Through seminars, f.i. National Conference Circular Economy (February 2019) organized by the Ministry of Environment and Infrastructure and the Minstry of Economic Affairs and Climate, with 600 people attending. Attero won the Circular Award Plastics 2019 voor innovation.

• The opening of the PRP by mr. Frans Timmermans, European Commission, (Maart 2019). In the evening Mr. Timmermans referred to this in the television programme “De Wereld Draait Door”.

• Animation (see below).

• Unilever International R&D packaging design team (April 2019).

• Attero shared her knowledge about design-for-recycling with this expert, followed by a guided tour. This was also done with other parties, such as Industry Association Koffie & Thee (May 2019), KIDV Communicty of practice (July 2019), Biffa a waste processing company in the UK (September 2019), McDonalds (October 2019), Cory Environmental (November 2019), Friesland Campina (December 2019).

• Also visits took place concerning this subject by the founder of NGO Environmental Defence, mr. W. van Dieren, the Ministry of Environment and Infrastructure, mrs. E. de Kleuver, Member of Parliament Mr. M. von Martels.

• Attero took part in radio-items, such as BNR Radio Green Quest (December 2019), for being nominated for the Green Quest for Green Innovations.

• KIDV training workshops.

• Attero was hosting the workshops organized by KIDV in the context of Master Classes in Packaging design and sharing best practices.

• Also visits in the context of a recycling system for waste from rivers and oceans by engineers of Ocean Clean Up took place at Attero.

• A panel discussion at CEFLEX (February 2020) with the subject producers responsibility planning for plastic recycling. This took place in London with 200 people attending, from the field of packaging producers, material producers, recycling companies, etc.

COVID-19 meant that Attero stopped taking part in physical meetings.

Cooperations

• CEFLEX; a cooperation initiative, a European consortium of companies and associations which represent the chain of flexible packaging. De CEFLEX mission is to further improve the working of flexible packaging in the circular economy. Attero shares its knowledge with this project. More information on CEFLEX can be found on the CEFLEX website. In the resources section also the position paper can be found on the possibility to collect flexible packaging via post-separation  (www.ceflex.eu).
• Prolifex (“Postconsumer Recycling Of L(L)DPE in Flexible Extrusion”): In this Joint Industry Project project Attero, TUSTI, Technical University Eindhoven, Dow Benelux, Oerlemans Packaging and Pokon Naturado work together to achieve the following targets:
  

  • Developing a competitive LDPE regranulate-stream of a constant and sufficiently high quality;

  • Developing a competitive foil from recycled plastic;

  • Developing circular packaging for consumer products, with a maximum percentage of recycled content.

The project is supported with a subsidy from the Joint Industry Project and is promoted via de CIRCO website (an initiative from the Dutch Ministry I&W)  (Project ProLiFeX - van folie tot folie | CIRCO Case | Kunststof (circonl.nl)

Best Practice

Are you working on a LIFE-project and interested in best practice? Please contact Aleksejs Zitkevics.