With the new digital sorting guide „DigiDot“, Der Grüne Punkt and Digi-Cycle are now helping consumers to sort and dispose of packaging correctly.
According to the new EU packaging regulation (PPWR), at least 55 per cent of all plastic packaging must be recycled by 2030. In order to achieve the ambitious goals of the circular economy, we need technological innovations as well as simple, reliable information for everyday life.
The Green Dot relies on a Interplay of technical solutions, smart consumer communication and advice, to improve the recyclability of packaging. However, only what is correctly collected separately can be recycled through the subsequent sorting and utilisation steps. Despite intensive education, according to the Federal Environment Agency still around 30 per cent of all packaging waste in residual waste and thus escape the recycling cycle.
Important local information on disposal
Even packaging that has been disposed of correctly in the yellow bin or yellow bag is not automatically easy to recycle. A classic example is the yoghurt pot: only when the lid is completely separated from the pot can the material be recycled efficiently. Such details illustrate how important Product-specific information at component level ideally localised, because the reality of waste disposal in this country is anything but uniform.
In order to support consumers with clear instructions, the Der Grüne Punkt together with Digi-Cycle the digital sorting guide „DigiDot“ to Germany. The principle is very simple: via the website digi-dot.info or the Digi-Cycle app, consumers can search for products in order to obtain the appropriate regional sorting and disposal instructions at component level. Already now Information on over 1,000 types of waste and around 50,000 branded products as well as more than 250,000 collection points internationally retrieve.
In future, the solution will be even more user-friendly: manufacturers can affix the „DigiDot“ QR code to packaging, which can be scanned directly with a smartphone browser - without the need for an app. Within a few seconds, consumers will receive a Precise, localised information for correct sorting and disposal of the respective packaging. The instructions are already available in several languages and can optionally be supplemented with further product-specific information.
Strong partners for more sustainability
Renowned retail and FMCG companies have supported the project from the very beginning by providing sorting instructions for their products. Thus Mondelēz International, Danone and Nespresso strong partners since the beginning.
„Around 96 per cent of our packaging is already recyclable. With the digital Sorting Guide, we want to make everyday life easier for our consumers and give them the opportunity to make an active contribution to the circular economy.“
Lena Berkemeyer, Senior Brand Manager Sustainability DACH at Mondelēz International
Nespresso, a brand of the Nestlé company, is also involved. „We are involved in the digital Sorting Guide to show how our capsules can be disposed of correctly and thus recycled. Simple disposal via the yellow bin is particularly easy for our customers in Germany,“ explains Sven Matika, Sustainability Manager at Nespresso.
Source: The Green Dot
