Balancing

The project aimed to make a significant, transdisciplinary contribution to applied research on the prevention of plastic discharges into water bodies via drainage systems from a behavioural and environmental economics perspective.

The idea and goal of Innoredux was to develop and implement innovative packaging solutions in distance and stationary retailing using a living lab research approach in order to avoid or reduce plastic waste along the value chain.

In PLAWES, the modelling system of the German national park Weser-Wadden Sea was the first large European river basin that was investigated in detail regarding its microplastic pollution.

This project systematically detected emissions of plastics into wastewater from relevant industries. Emissions levels were analysed along all points of the value chain (production, transport, processing, and cleaning of synthetic materials).

The REPLAWA project covered questions of water resource protection in connection with wastewater treatment. The project investigated and quantitatively assessed entry points into water bodies through treatment plants, storm water drainage, and combined sewer overflows as well as swales at treatment facilities and in sewage sludge.

As part of the revolPET project, a solvolytic recycling process for waste PET plastics (Polyethylene Terephthalate) from multilayer and other mixed materials was elaborated and experimentally tested.

The common element of all investigations in PLASTRAT was the development of solution strategies for sustainable limitation of the spread of plastic residues in the aquatic environment on technical, environmental, scientific and social-ecological levels. The objective consisted of developing a multi-criteria evaluation approach for the environmental compatibility of different types of plastics.