Perceptions and alignment on quality along the circular plastics packaging material chain

Abstract

In plastics recycling, quality is increasingly important but not unequivocally determined, as there is a wide range of perceptions on what it actually means. This exploratory research offers insights into how different actors perceive quality in the plastics packaging material processing chain. By conducting semi-structured interviews, we gathered data on quality perceptions from polymer producers, converters, brand owners, waste management companies, mechanical recyclers, chemical recyclers, additive producers, and equipment manufacturers. The results show that, depending on the position of the actors in the chain, their perceptions of the concept quality differ. We categorized the quality criteria they use into nine quality categories: purity, uniformity, mechanical properties, physical properties, processability, functionality, regulations & safety, substitutability and circularity. The interviews revealed specific differences in quality perceptions between the actors in the chain, which can complicate the efficiency of the recycling system. Despite these differences, many quality perceptions do match those of the previous and subsequent actors in the value chain but are not necessarily acknowledged as such.