The STAR project is a forward-thinking initiative aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of plastics flows within Finland. At the heart of the project is the ambition to enable industry-specific decisions on plastics use, recyclability, and waste management. We spoke with two of the key team members: Katariina Kukkasniemi, a researcher at Syke and participant in the STAR project, and Jani Salminen from Syke, who leads the STAR project.
Project background and participants
Launched in April 2024, the SPIRIT project STAR (Sustainability transition through promoting recycling: Modeling circular plastic flows in Finland) is currently entering its midpoint with its completion anticipated in April 2026.
A wide range of industry partners and research institutions are involved in the project, including Borealis Polymers Oy, FF-Future, Forecon, Mirka Oyj, Neste Oyj, Prysmian Group Finland Oy, Sauplast Oy, Sulapac Oy, Tampere University, Syklo Oy and WasteWise Group Oy.
Creating comprehensive plastics flow model
The central objective of STAR is to build a plastics flow model for Finland, with a potential for future updates with the latest information. This model offers a detailed overview of plastics streams across different industries, from raw materials to finished plastic products, exports, imports, and waste. The model is based on the TOL2008 industry categorisation, which covers approximately 150 industries.
The plastics stream model addresses several essential questions:
- How much plastics enter and exit in each industry, both in terms of volume and monetary value?
- What types of polymers and plastic products are involved?
- How much plastic waste is generated, and what is the recycling potential for each sector?
This detailed mapping allows for a nuanced understanding of plastics flows, crucial for industry-specific strategies on plastics use and recycling.
Key findings and ongoing research
One of the project’s significant achievements so far has been a reliable analysis of plastic raw materials, their manufacture, and export/import volumes. For example, the use of plastics as a raw material was 864,000 tonnes in 2019. Statistics Finland and Finnish Customs were used as the main data sources. The project team has identified approximately 12 major plastic types and has mapped their distribution across industries in Finland.
However, as Jani Salminen explains, understanding the end use of plastics presents more complexity. Plastics are not only found in obvious plastic products but are also integrated into other products, such as car parts and paints, where they cannot always be recycled. A considerable amount of plastics is also stored in infrastructure, such as buildings, representing long-term storage of carbon.
The team is also investigating the recyclability of plastics in different sectors. For example, Tampere University has been taking samples from demolition buildings to analyse harmful substances in plastics to determine their recyclability potential. An international collaboration partner the University of Amsterdam is examining the content of harmful substances in old buildings, particularly during demolition or reconstruction.
Initial findings indicate considerable uncertainty in the volumes and composition of plastics in waste streams, including the prevalence of impurities and the adaptability of these waste streams to current recycling technologies. The project is assessing both the technical feasibility of recycling and the impact of harmful substances and regulations on recyclability.
Collaboration and validation
Close collaboration with participating companies has been important. Industry questionnaires have helped validate the data collected so far and have proven invaluable in refining the plastics stream model.
A soon-to-be-completed graduate thesis by Johanna Janeskari will shed light on the operations of Finnish recycled plastics stakeholders, based on questionnaires for both producers and users.
Further studies are being planned in cooperation with universities in Amsterdam and Vienna, including uncertainty analyses for the data. Through this international cooperation, there is potential to get visibility in scientific publications.
Towards a comprehensive overview
Data and findings are regularly reported to the project’s steering group, covering raw materials, plastic products, and packaging. A notable result is the development of a method to estimate the total production of plastic packaging annually in Finland, including the identification of ‘free riders’ — those producers outside official responsibility schemes.
As the project moves towards completion, the team expects to deliver a thorough and reliable overview of plastic streams in Finland. This will offer a solid foundation for future policy, industry decisions and innovations in plastics recycling and waste management.
Jani Salminen concludes: “What is remarkable about our work is the emerging clarity of Finland’s plastics flows. This knowledge is already taking shape and will be invaluable for the future of sustainable materials management.”
Image generated by AI.