SKZ supports companies in the plastics industry with two pioneering projects
The transition to a circular economy is not a foregone conclusion - for successful implementation, familiar processes must be rethought, familiar perspectives must be further developed and the changes must be supported and internalized by employees. The SKZ is therefore launching the pioneering project "Circular Economy - Step by Step" in fall 2024. The implementation-oriented project, which will run for around six months, is aimed at all companies in the plastics industry and is based on four pillars: skills development, use of recyclates, quality assurance and sustainability assessment. The overall package on offer thus aims to strengthen companies in key areas of the circular economy.
Knowledge transfer on current and future relevant issues of the circular economy
The focus is equally on imparting knowledge on current and future-relevant issues of the circular economy as well as the company's own requirements - individual solutions are offered for both in three steps: While in the first step, participating companies are given a sound introduction to various industry-relevant topics relating to the circular economy, the second step focuses on a concrete and individual feasibility analysis. The possible fields of application include, for example, the qualification of employees, the use of recycled materials taking into account specific quality requirements, the sustainability assessment of products and other use cases. In the final step of the pioneering project, the respective best practice successes are shared within the consortium in order to benefit jointly from the knowledge gained. This will enable participating companies to obtain comprehensive information on the circular economy, implement an initial pilot project, prepare strategic decisions and help shape the long-term transformation.
New EU directive on sustainability reporting as an opportunity
It is becoming increasingly important for companies to properly document and communicate their activities with regard to sustainability goals. The new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires European companies to prepare and publish a sustainability report. This obligation will apply to large companies from 2025 and to capital market-oriented SMEs with more than 250 employees from 2026. However, smaller companies that are not yet directly affected should also look into this, as many companies subject to reporting requirements pass on requirements to their suppliers.
