The overall objective of the research project is to develop the most sustainable and recyclable reusable bowls with lids made of bio-based and/or recycled plastics that circulate in Germany's largest deposit system for "to go" food and at the same time remain in the material cycle through recycling at the end of their life cycle. Both bio-based or recycled plastics as well as sensible combinations of both types of plastics can be used as starting materials. The use of a mono-material is essential to ensure recyclability.

The area of food "to go" includes so-called take-away and delivery offers. The requirements for such a deposit product in terms of costs, sustainability and social aspects in combination with a longevity of the product are high. The currently existing systems are based on conventional plastics (usually polypropylene) and still have insufficient long-term durability (especially dishwasher resistance) as well as poor scratch resistance of the inside of the tray and weaknesses with regard to discolouration and thermal insulation properties. This gap is to be closed by the use of suitable plastic materials and appropriate additives as well as the sensible design of the surface structure. The main focus is on the food contact of the tray, which must be taken into account across all manufacturing stages (raw material selection, polymer production, production of the reusable tray, finishing steps, recycling).

The aim is to develop a recyclable overall system with a recycling rate of 100 percent, whereby closed material flows in the form of bowl-to-bowl recycling are to be realised as a priority (closed loop recycling). In addition to the development of materials technology and the associated product design, it is also essential to develop and apply suitable strategies for communication and knowledge transfer.

• Project title: Bowl2Bowl - Eco-efficient reusable bowls in the deposit system for food-to-go with closed-loop recycling for waste prevention
• Funding: Project management Jülich (PTJ)
• Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
• Project partners: Crafting Future GmbH, IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites at the Hochschule Hannover – University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Wipa Werkzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Dihse GmbH
• Project management: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Siebert-Raths
• Duration: 01.10.2022 – 30.09.2025

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Siebert-Raths, andrea.siebert-raths@hs-hannover.de