ABC Research announces the start of a new research project on circular plastic supply chains in cooperation with CCB Management Services (a subsidiary of Coca-Cola HBC Group) and WU Wien. The goal of this project is the better understanding of the relevant supply chain processes around plastic bottles and how recycling quotas could be increased, which would be an important contribution to circular economy. This objective can be achieved by tracking and tracing plastic bottles during their entire lifecycle, which includes production, retail, recycling and reuse as bottles. In addition, we plan to understand better effectiveness of different incentives for consumers to take part in the recycling process and to drop off used bottles at dedicated collection points. Blockchain technology can be used to implement such features in a secure and transparent way.
During the project, we will use simulations, application prototypes and pilot studies to evaluate which strategies could lead to higher recycling rates for plastic bottles.