The tool was created under the BMBF - funded project ‘CYCLOPS’ - short for Circular Optimisation for Plastics which aims to enable more effective recycling and higher plastic recycling rates of secondary plastic material. The potential of plastic recycling and use of plastic reuse of recyclates in plastic manufacturing is still little exploited in practice, so that avoidable environmental pollution occurs and opportunities for resource conservation are not seized. Economically, non-implemented recycling means a loss of valuable material while ecologically, the incineration of plastic waste releases large quantities of CO2 and other harmful gasses into the air. The reuse of recyclates, on the other hand, promises to save additional fossil resources, since it can replace newly produced plastics.
The CYCLOPS project is being developed by the SKZ, the Wuppertal Institute, GreenDelta and cirplus, and is due to be completed in August 2023.