On 17 June 2019, the NaWiKo workshop "Sustainable management in companies based on the example of bioplastics" took place at the facilities of Bio-Molkerei Söbbeke GmbH, a sustainable creamery, in Gronau near Münster. The aim of the workshop was for company representatives from the packaging and food industry to discuss findings from research projects that dealt with sustainability effects of bioplastics and bio-based materials.

Due to the current discussion about plastic waste the focus on bioplastics and bio-based packaging materials is of practical relevance. Since applying research findings to the routinized life of a business is not easy, this workshop was also meant to help identify where more discussion or knowledge was needed and enable a more in-depth networking along supply chains.

A short documentation of the main discussion is available here as a download.

Background

The discussions about the use of bioplastics are not necessarily new. However, recent developments in the field of plastic waste – especially regarding packaging foils – have opened up new possibilities for the use of these recyclable materials. In addition to economic aspects, environmental sustainability and thus ecodesign also play a significant role.

The workshop was intended for company representatives, inviting them to discuss the possibilities of future application of these materials in the field of food packaging and to further combine existing solutions in the field of sustainable management with new ideas.

The workshop was conducted by the Effizienz-Agentur NRW (Efficiency Agency NRW) in cooperation with NaWiKo and funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), abbreviated BMBF, within the framework of the funding measure NaWi, "Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften" ("Sustainable Management").