Sustainability considerations in the plastics industry are increasingly shifting upstream into the product development phase. In a context of limited resources and tightening regulatory frameworks, the SKZ Plastics Centre is supporting companies in translating design for circularity into practical measures along the entire plastics value chain. Political initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the EU Circular Economy Package and the National Circular Economy Strategy underline that circular business models are becoming central components of the transformation towards a more sustainable industrial economy. Against this backdrop, SKZ positions its offering as a structured, implementation-oriented support for plastics companies, from the initial idea through to the rollout of circular solutions in products, processes and business models.
From design for circularity to circular business models
The SKZ Plastics Centre aims to help companies actively shape the transition to circular value creation, rather than reacting to external pressures in an ad hoc manner. With its network of expertise, SKZ covers the entire value chain of the plastics industry and places particular emphasis on the design for circularity (DfC) approach. The centre works with companies at the earliest stages of development so that materials, products and business models are designed to be resource efficient, repairable and recyclable across the full life cycle. The objective is to ensure that plastics products can be integrated into circular systems and make a tangible contribution to the circular economy.
SKZ bases its methodology on the concept of R strategies, from refuse through to recover. This framework is used to systematically analyse and evaluate circularity potential along the value chain. By considering measures such as refusing unnecessary material use, reducing resource input, reusing products and components, repairing and refurbishing, remanufacturing, recycling and recovering value at end of life, companies can identify concrete intervention points. SKZ applies these strategies in collaboration with industrial partners, looking at technical design, material selection and organisational set-ups in an integrated way.
Lifecycle-oriented collaboration in five key areas
In its work with industrial companies, SKZ considers the entire product life cycle and structures its support around five core fields of action. In product development, the focus lies on modularity, repairability and recyclability. Modular concepts can simplify disassembly and component replacement, while design decisions that facilitate repair and high-quality recycling aim to keep materials in use for as long as possible. In the area of materials and procurement, SKZ addresses the use of sustainable materials and the implementation of digital product passports, which can support transparency on material composition and facilitate downstream sorting and recycling processes.
On the production side, SKZ examines how used products or components can be integrated into manufacturing processes, for example by enabling the use of returned parts or secondary materials. In logistics and return systems, the focus is on sustainable packaging solutions and the design of take-back systems that allow products and materials to re-enter value chains. Finally, in service and reprocessing, SKZ works with companies on concepts such as repair services, second-life products and sharing models, which extend product lifetimes and reduce the need for primary material input.
Two-stage support model for practical implementation
Building on the R strategies and lifecycle perspective, the SKZ Plastics Centre offers a two-stage support model intended to provide companies with a clear and practical pathway towards the circular economy. The first step concentrates on laying the foundations and identifying potential. Within a basic qualification format, participants receive an overview of circular principles, relevant tools and standards as well as practical examples from industry. As part of this phase, SKZ conducts a structured quick check that helps companies to identify where, in their existing products and processes, there is potential to improve resource efficiency and circularity.
In the second step, SKZ moves with the company from analysis to action. Technical, organisational and strategic measures are developed jointly and prioritised according to their expected impact and feasibility. These measures are then translated into a concrete implementation roadmap that reflects the specific objectives, constraints and operational realities of the company. In this way, design for circularity and circular business models are not treated as abstract goals but as a sequence of coordinated actions embedded into corporate strategy and day-to-day operations.
Focus on medium-sized companies and interdisciplinary expertise
The approach of the SKZ Plastics Centre is explicitly practice oriented and targets in particular medium-sized companies. For this group, internal resources for systematically developing and implementing circular strategies are often limited. By providing structured methods, sector-specific knowledge and external expertise, SKZ aims to enable these companies to participate in the transition to circular value creation without the need to build extensive internal teams. Interdisciplinary collaboration plays a central role in this context. SKZ brings together experts from plastics technology and the circular economy to develop company-specific strategies that take into account both ecological and economic requirements.
According to Heicke Gaedeke, Senior Engineer at SKZ, a narrow focus on recyclability at end of life is not sufficient: "In order to make products and product systems truly circular, focusing solely on design for recycling is not enough. Only by taking a holistic view of the life cycle and consistently using all R strategies can the full potential of the circular economy be realised." With this perspective, SKZ invites companies from the plastics industry to jointly develop circular solutions and to actively participate in shaping the transition towards a more sustainable and future-oriented industrial economy.
