Execution time 2022-2029
The Finnish Environment Institute leads the PlastLIFE project and offers its comprehensive expertise for reaching the objectives of circular economy of plastics. From Syke perspective the project is huge: Fifty Syke experts from seven different units and sixteen different groups strive to promote circular economy of plastics through PlastLIFE.
We manage and coordinate the project ensuring its progress as planned and reporting the progress to the EU and other financiers.
Together with our partners we communicate the project results and solutions developed for tackling plastics challenges towards national and international audiences. We organise campaigns aiming at reducing littering and unnecessary consumption of plastics and promote the circular economy of plastics by co-communicating together with a wide network of civic influencers.
We develop methods and indicators for monitoring the circular economy of plastics. There is no completed set of indicators or methods developed for the monitoring of this multidimensional and extensive system. Therefore, we develop nation-wide indicators applying a process based on expert assessment.
We monitor the progress of our project, the Plastics Roadmap for Finland, and the circular economy of plastics as well as their impacts and effectiveness with different methods and indicators. We complement and extend the plastics flow accounting created in previous projects. Together with our partners we co-create an LCA-based model for assessing the environmental impacts of circular economy of plastics.
We generate data
on the harmfulness of plastic litter and develop measures to reduce it. We develop a method for monitoring plastic litter from construction operations.
We study and monitor citizens’ and enterprises’ attitudes towards plastics and their changes with citizen and business barometers.
We develop the Roskalähetti (Litter App) application for studying the possibilities of citizen science in activating people to take action to promote circular economy.
We collect plastic stories from people to gather information about how plastics is connected to everyday life, why plastic products become meaningful, and how the role and use of plastics in everyday life has changed. We utilise various forms and means of arts to increase plastics consciousness and to activate operators to solve the plastic challenges.
We study the chemical risks of plastics. During the production of plastics different chemicals are added, which may not be fit for recycling. We analyse hazardous substances from plastic waste and develop a framework for risk assessment to guide operators in safe use of recycled plastics.
PlastLIFE aims at strong national and international co-operation. We coordinate national and international co-operation with e.g., municipality networks. We help partners in creating international connections and support them in their efforts to export the solutions they have developed in the project.
We support the development and implementation of the Plastics Roadmap for Finland by deepening the dialogue between operators and sectors and by utilising methods for knowledge co-creation.
Project leader
- Senior Research Scientist Helena Dahlbo, Finnish Environment Institute, tel. +358 29 525 1095, helena.dahlbo@syke.fi
Coordination of communications
-
Communication specialist Johanna Kaunisto, Finnish Environment Institute, tel. +358 29 525 2297, johanna.kaunisto@syke.fi