A BMBF-funded project aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize the sustainability of plastic packaging.

The new "AI Application Hub Plastic Packaging - Sustainable Circular Economy through Artificial Intelligence" reportedly involves a total of 51 partners from the entire value chain, from design to recycling of plastic packaging. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and envisages the establishment of two laboratories, is said: "KIOpti-Pack" for the design and production of plastic packaging, and "K3I-Cycling" for the quantitative and qualitative improvement of mechanical recycling of post-consumer waste. "K3I-Cycling" is to use an "Artificial Neural Twin" to program an open interface for the cross-sector collection of relevant information in the sense of a product passport for lightweight packaging that digitally links all stakeholders along the value chain. This project group is headed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS). "KIOptiPack" is to provide AI-supported tools for the design and production of plastic packaging with a high recycled content. The project is coordinated by the Institute of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen University. It will reportedly run until July 31, 2025.
 

Sources:

• kunststoffweb.de (Nov. 2, 2022)
• bvse.de (Oct. 27, 2022)
• Photo: © Fraunhofer IVV