Glossary
The following terms are part of the vocabulary of the sustainable circular economy, the methods and parameters used and are used repeatedly on our website. For this reason, we explain some of the most important and most frequently used terms here. We also answer the most common questions about the sustainable circular economy.
Glossary
Bioplastics
Bioplastics come in various forms. On the one hand, there are bio-based plastics, where the raw material from which the plastic is made is renewable. On the other hand, there are biodegradable plastics. Either additives are added to the plastic to accelerate the degradation rate, or the plastic itself consists of compounds that are easier to break down than conventional plastic. The following graphic provides an overview of the possible combinations with examples of which plastics belong to which category.
On the sustainability of bioplastics: whether biodegradable or biobased, they are not per se more sustainable than conventional plastics. On the contrary, new problems can arise during composting or recycling. Nevertheless, bioplastics can have advantages over fossil-based plastics in certain situations.
Chemical Recycling
In chemical recycling, substances are returned to their original form. For example, plastics can be broken down to recover the monomers used in their production. Numerous processes are classified as chemical recycling. What they have in common is the breaking of chemical bonds. Enzymes, solvents, temperature, and other methods can be used. These processes are usually energy-intensive but conserve resources.
Digital Product Passport (DPP)
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is intended to lead to greater transparency of products. It typically consists of a data carrier (QR code, RFID chip, NFC chip) and a database. With the help of the DPP, consumers should receive information on materials, maintenance, and recycling routes at the end of the life of products. On the other hand, the DPP should enable the recycling of products by allowing the composition to be read out by the recycler with little effort.
Design for Recycling (D4R)
Design for Recycling (D4R) is a term for rethinking products. In this process, the design focuses not only on the function of a product or packaging but also on its recyclability. D4R is therefore one of the most important steps on the path to a circular economy.
There are various guidelines for plastic packaging and other products that specify when a product is recyclable.
Life Cycle Assessment LCA
A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its entire life cycle*. Therefore, LCA is one of the most important tools for describing and improving the sustainability of a product.
An LCA consists of four steps. The first step involves defining the goal and system boundaries. The second step involves collecting all inputs and outputs of the product system under investigation. Subsequently, in the third step, environmental impacts are calculated using the inputs and outputs to determine the environmental effects of the product system. In this step, it is possible to select which impact categories (e.g., impacts on climate change, impacts on ozone depletion, impacts on human or ecotoxicity, etc.) should be considered. In the fourth step, the results are interpreted and contextualized.
*Definition according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO), The New International Standards for Life Cycle Assessment: ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 (ISO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2006).
Material Flow Analysis (MFA)
Material flow analysis illustrates the flows and stocks of various materials or products within a defined system (e.g., company, country, world). The systematic recording of material flows and stocks simplifies the overview and facilitates the understanding of complex systems, such as waste management systems. Knowledge gained through an MFA regarding the transformation, transport, and storage of valuable and hazardous substances forms the basis for identifying both resource potentials and risks to human health and the environment.
Mechanical recycling of plastics
In mechanical recycling, plastic waste is converted into secondary raw materials. The plastic products are first mechanically shredded, often washed to remove, for example, food residues, and then melted down. When melted in the extruder, plastic granules can be produced again. A challenge in the mechanical recycling of plastics is that melting different polymers together can negatively affect their properties. For example, a proportion of PE in PP recycling can impair the properties of the PP recyclate so much that the recyclate can no longer be used. An important step for successful mechanical recycling of plastics is therefore a clean, prior sorting by polymer types.
Sustainability
Sustainability originally meant that something does not exceed the natural regenerative capacity of a system. Today, the term encompasses the three-pillar model of sustainable development. Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present in such a way that the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is not compromised. It is important to consider all three dimensions of sustainability – economically efficient, socially just, ecologically sustainable – as equally important.
Sustainable circular economy
The circular economy is a regenerative economic system that requires a paradigm shift to replace the concept of "end of life" with the reduction, alternative reuse, recycling and recovery of materials throughout the supply chain. It aims to promote value retention and three-dimensional sustainable development. This is made possible by an alliance of interest groups (industry, consumers, political decision-makers, universities) and their technological innovations and expertise.
The circular economy is one of the most important concepts that can contribute to sustainability. However, an examination of the impacts on sustainability is extremely important, because it may be surprising, but the circular economy is not sustainable per se. For example, pollutants can accumulate in material cycles (remember the case of the increased concentration of heavy metals in children's toys). Or a new refrigerator makes more sense than repairing the old appliance because of increased energy efficiency. Or reusable alternatives that are only used 3 times instead of 50.
Recyclability
Recyclability describes the potential for a product or material to be recycled. Recyclability can be classified into three levels.
Theoretical Recyclability:
Theoretical recyclability considers the product in its original state, without contamination, and usually focuses on the material itself. If a product is theoretically recyclable, there are processes that can return the materials of the individual components to their original state (e.g., melting process). This assessment is independent of the region.
Technical Recyclability:
For technical recyclability, in addition to theoretical recyclability, a product must also be technically detectable by suitable sensors and sortable and separable in real machines and systems. The technologies and recycling processes are therefore available to recycle a product. Technical recyclability is determined through testing and is also independent of the region.
Real Recyclability:
Prerequisites for real recyclability, in addition to technical recyclability, are that a product is actually collected, that the regional sorting plant really sorts this product out as a recyclable material, and that there is a real market for this fraction that actually converts the recyclable material into a secondary product. Real recyclability is therefore location-dependent due to the regional collection, sorting, and recycling systems. Only the real recyclability of a product enables a local loop closure.
Source: Pomberger, R. (2021). On theoretical and real recyclability. Austrian Water and Waste Management, 73(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00506-020-00721-5