Emma Väre, a team member of our partners VTT, has completed her master’s thesis related to the STOPP project

Emma Väre, Research Scientist of our partners VTT, has finalised a master’s thesis which is closely related to our project. Its title is Barriers to the circularity of single use plastic food packaging in the European Union, and is part of the Master’s Programme in Materials Engineering of the Tampere University.

In her thesis, Emma investigates the challenges to improving the circular economy for single-use plastic food packaging, focusing on mechanical recycling. The study identifies technical, legislative, and systemic barriers in the EU, such as the complexities of plastic packaging waste, contamination issues, and economic factors that make recycling less profitable. A particular focus is on polyolefins, widely used in food packaging but difficult to recycle back into food contact materials.

The thesis contributes to the STOPP project by identifying barriers that hinder circularity and offering insights for practical and policy-related improvements. The work involves both a literature review of EU regulations and interviews with stakeholders in the plastics value chain.

Congratulations from the entire consortium, Emma!

The complete thesis is accessible here or in the Downloads section of this website.