STEPS – Sustainable Plastics and Transition Pathways

This research program was initiated during autumn 2016 after being awarded the funding for Mistra´s call of proposals on “Plastics in a Sustainable Society”.

The program, with a strong support from important stakeholders, has a vision of a future society in which plastics are sustainably developed, produced, used and recycled in a circular economy. STEPS is planned in close dialogue with industrial partners, and thus reflects the market needs for sustainable plastic systems both on a short-term and long-term basis.

It is based on the concept of designing eco-friendly plastics having desired material properties and -life cycle by matching appropriate carbon-neutral building blocks and their derivatives. Major focus in the programme is on polyesters, which represent a plastics group with varying properties for wide range of applications and a sizable global market.

STEPS aims to play a key role in instigating and accelerating this sustainability transition by strengthening the knowledge and research base for technology- and product development and innovation, developing and assessing key niche products with industrial partners, and analysing the sustainability, institutional and policy implications of potential transition pathways.