Biodegradable products inspired by nature.
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Together, we are committed to responsibly managing our natural resources, developing sustainable product solutions and cycles, and avoiding environmental pollution from microplastics.
We advocate for the use of biodegradable and compostable materials in appropriate applications to prevent microplastic pollution and keep natural resources in the loop.
The Initiative natürliche Kreislaufwirtschaft e.V. (INAK), (“Natural Circular Economy Initiative”), which emerged from the Verbund kompostierbare Produkte e.V., is an alliance of companies, waste managers, certifiers, and scientists.
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Our Goals
Closing natural cycles
We want to help close current gaps in the cycle, such as organic waste in residual waste, and return more natural raw materials to the biological cycle through composting for sustainable processing into compost or biogas.
Strengthening organic recycling
Most packaging can and should already be well and efficiently collected and mechanically recycled. However, there are specific applications that are not suitable for mechanical or chemical recycling. These include applications designed for the collection of organic waste (e.g., organic waste bags) or those that are difficult or impossible to separate from food or food residues (e.g., fruit and vegetable stickers, tea bags, coffee pods). In these cases, using certified compostable materials and the path of organic recycling is the most ecologically efficient recovery method in the context of a closed-loop economy.
Reducing microplastic pollution
We advocate for a responsible approach to plastics. This also includes examining which applications should replace conventional plastics with biodegradable and compostable materials to avoid microplastic pollution in nature. Especially in applications that remain in the environment and do not make it into recycling, particularly in agriculture, forestry, and horticulture, biodegradable plastics offer a sensible solution. Certified industrially compostable plastics can help reduce contamination in organic recycling and thus limit non-compostable materials and microplastics in the compost stream.
Creating uniform standards and norms for biodegradability
We support research and development efforts to make standards and norms for biodegradation robust and verifiable in all meaningful environments and applications. Often, there is ignorance or uncertainty about the actual biodegradation properties of biodegradable and compostable materials. Uniform standards and norms already exist and provide a secure framework, such as DIN EN 17033 for the biodegradation of mulch films in the soil and DIN EN 13432 for industrially compostable packaging.
Promoting innovation
We advocate for innovation-friendly framework conditions for the bioeconomy in Germany to ensure the resilience and competitiveness of our industry. Numerous highly innovative companies in the field of sustainable plastic products invest significant resources in the research, development, and production of biobased and compostable, biodegradable products, thereby securing or creating new jobs and training opportunities in Germany.
"In nature, materials are not lost but are decomposed by microorganisms into nutrients and returned to the ecosystem—a concept that combines growth, sustainable business practices, and resource conservation."
Carmen Michels
Chairwoman of the Initiative natürliche Kreislaufwirtschaft e.V.
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