ABOUT STEPS

STEPS research programme was initiated in 2016 and ended in 2024. Our vision was a future society in which plastics are sustainably developed, produced, used and recycled in a circular economy.

STEPS was based on close collaboration between our researchers and industry partners. Our consortium includesd Lund University, University of Copenhagen, RISE, IVL, 22 industrial partners and Region Skane.

Our work on sustainable plastics was divided into three research work packages: green building blocks, bio-based polymers, and plastic governance.

During our existence as a programme, we:

• Designed novel biobased monomers that have been made into polymers.

• Produced two plastics demonstrators: a floor coating and textile fibres with superior qualities and low climate impact.

• Suggested transition pathways towards a sustainable plastic system

We believed in strong collaboration between academia and industry at an early stage. In that way we can ensure that our research corresponds to real societal needs and questions, says Professor Rajni Hatti-Kaul, STEPS Programme Director.

WORK PACKAGES IN PHASE TWO

• WP1 – Green Building Blocks

• WP2 – Biobased polymers and upscaling

• WP3 – Plastic Governance

STEPS was funded by Mistra Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning.