To us, closed loops are the most important step towards a steady, lasting reduction of waste. We dedicate ourselves to that goal vertically within the Schwarz Group itself, which means in all its business divisions.
In addition, we never tire of looking for cooperation partners along the entire value chain outside the Group. These cooperations, carried out as part of initiatives and research projects, further intensify our holistic, systematic perspective on recyclable materials. They're extremely important for breaking down thematic silo visions and for broadening our horizons.
We Take Part in the Following Initiatives
HolyGrail 2.0 - Precise Coding Means Better Recycling
Digital watermarks are imperceptible codes the size of a postage stamp which cover the surface of a product's package and carry a multitude of information, for example information on the packaging's material. HolyGrail's goal is to use cameras in waste sorting facilities to read these watermarks, so the waste can then be sorted appropriately. As a result, there would be more accurate sorting streams and in turn more valuable recyclates, which would benefit the entire packaging value chain.
Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland CEID - Road Map for a Sustainable Circular Economy
Although the circular economy concept is becoming increasingly popular, both production and consumption generally still follow a linear logic: extract raw materials, manufacture products, consume and then dispose.
The Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland (CEID), working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is therefore developing a holistic road map for the circular economy in Germany. Together with actors from economy, science and civil society, a variety of work groups are coming up with new solutions. Through REsearch, we're part of the work group on packaging.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT - Microplastics Innovation Radar
The Schwarz Group collaborates on various topics with scientific partners. In the area of microplastics for example, we're supporting the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT as a scientific competence partner.
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation - Innovation Partner Moving Toward a Circular Economy
As part of the Schwarz Group, we are a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit organization active worldwide whose mission is to accelerate the transition to a working circular economy. As part of our membership, we were the first retail company in Germany to sign the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, and thus committed ourselves as early as 2018 to global objectives for promoting the circular economy in the area of plastics.
Through its work, the REsearch area of action ensures that we're acting not only as a passive member of the Foundation, but as an active partner.
The latest examples of this include the Upstream Innovation Guide and a corresponding toolkit for supporting an innovation process. As experts, we had the opportunity to rethink and comment on the practical guide, which supports related packaging, products, and business models, and as well test the resources provided before it was published.
