CHIRA

Jury evaluation:

One of the fundamental prerequisites for closing material cycles is the recycling-friendly design of packaging. Ecological packaging design is increasingly being demanded by regulatory requirements, economic drivers of brand and private label manufacturers and, last but certainly not least, consumers. However, the factors that influence the assessment of the recyclability of packaging are extremely complex. On top of this are the often-extensive product and packaging portfolios of the distributors and the enormous complexity of exports to other EU countries with different recycling structures. The challenge was therefore to establish a solution for transparent, quantitative balancing of recyclability which is practicable, legal and standard-compliant. The team at the cyclos-HTP Institute has developed CHIRA, a new software solution for assessing the recyclability of packaging which is based around these requirements. The assessment is carried out for all material types with EU-wide scope in national differentiation and in conformity with the German minimum standard.

Intelligent query menus for individual packaging types enable the user to evaluate their packaging and archive this evaluation. CHIRA is also designed as a packaging optimisation tool. The influence on recyclability can be modelled directly by varying individual design details.

• CHIRA