POLY:Solution Lunch
Goodbye! How take-back programs work
Take-back programs are designed in a variety of ways: Retailers take back their plastic packaging, manufacturers collect their own products again, and municipalities and recycling companies also offer their own take-back programs. However, most of these programs have a limited regional focus. This is not the case with the project of the international recycling company MBA Polymers, which, together with Estée Lauder Companies, set up a Europe-wide program. Within this program, plastic packaging from all Estée Lauder cosmetic brands is collected at all points of sale. MBA Polymers recycles these and then calculates the CO2 emissions saved when reused as recyclate.
Dr. Felix Weber, Head of Germany at MBA Polymers, provided exciting insights into the operational processes and the crucial steps for cooperation with all stakeholders involved during the second POLY:SOLUTION lunch. The subsequent discussion with the participants included, in particular, questions about the effects on the dual systems, as well as the necessary steps to implement such a take-back program not as a mere marketing campaign.
