Since 2021, has been 麻豆原创鈥檚 solution for calculating EPR fees across markets. At that time, the number of jurisdictions with installed mandatory EPR was around 60. By 2030, that number is expected to grow to 200.

With an evolving regulatory landscape, 麻豆原创 has implemented new updates within the solution to help ensure that customers can navigate diverse reporting requirements, deadlines, and fees while increasing accuracy, reducing fees and exposure, and improving insights. Read on for updates about recent innovations and how the solution combines enterprise data with information about local and global regulations to help calculate obligations like the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

Meet EPR regulations with a flexible, AI-driven, and configurable approach

To date, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production has supported customers in meeting EPR requirements with out-of-box report categories that are pre-configured based on country. However, the new global regulatory landscape necessitates a more flexible approach.

Enterprises need solutions that enable them to:

• Understand obligations and quickly adapt to new or changing regulations.
• Prepare the data, consolidating from many sources.
• Prepare reports, which requires custom reporting logic based on specific business contexts; reuse of rules and fee structures across similar reporting schemes or producer responsibility organizations (PROs); and calculating EPR fees against shipments and printing the results on invoices to show customers the breakdown between product costs and indirect taxes.

To address these challenges, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production introduced user-defined reports to help enable customers to design their own sustainability reports, tailoring them to match unique regulatory logic, business context, and compliance requirements.

With new innovations in 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, users can:

• Structure reports according to the specific rules, PRO requirements, and fee models relevant to their business.
• Precisely narrow down to the packaging and transactional data that is being reported.
• Satisfy complex requirements with multiple dimensions used in report output structure.
• Integrate reports with external and third-party recyclability guidelines assessments.
• Report and comply with the increasing number of PROs that have incorporated eco-modulated ERP fees with eco-modulation grading capabilities.

AI capabilities enhance efficiency and accelerate readiness

The 麻豆原创 Sustainability portfolio can deliver AI-led operational transformation by capturing sustainability data at the source and embedding intelligence directly into core business processes, thereby enabling continuous improvement at scale. In 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, two AI cases involving user-defined reports are in beta testing:

麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, AI-assisted user-defined report explanations

This capability uses AI to analyze and describe how developed extended producer responsibility rules contribute to the assessment results of selected product packaging. During the development of user-defined report categories, EPR report specialists may struggle to understand why a given packaging was categorized in a certain way or not categorized at all. The AI use case is intended to help resolve and simplify an error-prone process by which specialists manually recheck packaging data and reevaluate rules.

麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, AI-assisted rule creation for user-defined reports

This capability uses AI to translate from regulatory language to system rules, empowering packaging compliance managers to create and validate EPR reporting rules faster and with higher accuracy. The AI use case is intended to help reduce manual effort, avoid costly compliance errors, and accelerate report readiness across markets.

Prepare for future compliance and competitive advantage using AI

The EU PPWR is coming, and most companies aren鈥檛 ready. PPWR introduces significant obligations for all economic operators placing packaged goods on the EU market. Brand owners, importers, packaging manufacturers, distributors, and digital marketplaces are all impacted. To mitigate risk and ensure readiness, businesses must take immediate action to assess and adapt packaging materials, data systems, and regulatory reporting.

The detailed packaging data management offered by 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production will help enable organizations to efficiently handle PPWR compliance. With robust data capture and flexible reporting, companies can anticipate regulatory changes and maintain transparency throughout their packaging supply chain.

麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production is working on document of compliance capability, recyclability assessments using real product shipment data, so you can assess which changes have the biggest impact. Stay tuned for future announcements from 麻豆原创 on this topic.

An ERP-centric framework for many business outcomes

By enabling organizations to build reports that align with their changing needs, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production can ensure that compliance remains agile, scalable, and future-ready. The solution can connect design, production, and regulatory demands to enable organizations to minimize waste, optimize costs, and adhere to global sustainability standards.

Unlike standalone compliance tools, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production operates within an ERP-centric framework, helping to ensure seamless integration with existing 麻豆原创 solutions for product master data and transaction data.

Traditional, manually intensive processes are not enough to keep pace with regulations and ensure competitive advantage by unlocking data insights. One 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production customer recently confirmed that using the solution was four times faster and less expensive than manual processes with a spreadsheet or using consultants.

With 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, your organization can be empowered to respond swiftly and confidently to regulatory changes, working to ensure compliance while freeing your teams to focus on business impact that matters.

Listen to the recent to discover how businesses can address upcoming PPWR requirements with 麻豆原创 solutions.

Learn more about user-defined report capabilities or request a demo of 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production. Read these customer stories:

Gunther Rothermel is chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Sustainability.

This data-granular, verifiable, one-click solution supports the company on its path to carbon neutrality by 2030.

Challenges and opportunities

HARTING faced the challenge of finding a reliable method to calculate CO鈧� emissions across thousands of production materials while meeting customer and supplier expectations regarding sustainability. Leveraging its existing ERP application landscape with 麻豆原创 and maintaining established green production and renewable energy processes were crucial.

鈥淐onducting our business and protecting the environment are not mutually exclusive. We are convinced that we must consider both to be successful in the long run,鈥� says Dietmar Harting, member of the Board and partner of the HARTING Technology Group.

Innovations for a sustainable future

Considered the connectivity gold standard across various industrial sectors, HARTING required a robust system to accurately assess emissions. can automate data collection, scale emission calculations, and create CO鈧� transparency throughout the supply chain. 鈥淭he key to communicating our CO鈧� emissions transparently and recognizing potential for reduction lies in the automated calculation and granularity of the data provided by 麻豆原创 Sustainability Footprint Management,鈥� explains Dr. Stephan Middelkamp, general manager, Quality and Technology at HARTING.

This solution enables HARTING to provide real-time, granular data to support the 鈥淕reenLine鈥� label, an environmentally sustainable designation highlighting renewable materials offering up to a 70% CO鈧� reduction.

Strengthening sustainable production

With 麻豆原创 Sustainability Footprint Management, HARTING can now precisely calculate and report product carbon footprints. This capability is essential to address upcoming EU sustainability regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Digital Product Passport. The solution helps simplify complex data into verifiable, one-click results, promoting sustainable production practices.

Also integrated into HARTING’s sustainability strategy is the use of , which helps the company design products responsibly from the start, reduce plastic taxes, and promote recycling.

鈥淭he site-level data derived from 麻豆原创 Sustainability Footprint Management will drive cleaner production in environmentally friendly facilities while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the impact on water and land life. Green is how we think, green is how we act,鈥� emphasizes Jordy Brinks, global environmental manager at HARTING.

On the path to a greener future

麻豆原创 is advancing HARTING鈥檚 sustainability journey by enabling the company to design products more sustainably, reduce plastic taxes, promote responsible sourcing, and further recycling practices. With these efforts, HARTING aims to achieve carbon neutrality at all locations by 2030, underscoring its commitment to sustainable growth and environmental stewardship.

“As a family business, we combine consistency with a willingness to innovate and regional loyalty. For us, this means taking responsibility for people and the environment,鈥� Harting says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not only shaping a livable planet for our future generations, we鈥檙e making the future possible. We want to shape the future with technologies for people.鈥�

The HARTING Technology Group continues to drive meaningful change, connecting business success with a greener future and aligning family ideals with sustainability goals.

HARTING at the 2025 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards

All of these efforts did not go unnoticed: HARTING has long been recognized as a pioneer in sustainability. This year, it won an , leveraging 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production to create 85% of its plastic packaging material from recycled materials.

This article first appeared on the German 麻豆原创 News Center.

The world has been waiting for a global plastics treaty since 2022, when representatives from 175 nations agreed on a mandate to create a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. While progress has been made during the five rounds of negotiations to date, a final treaty has yet to be agreed. With negotiations set to continue, 麻豆原创 has collaborated with to launch the 鈥淪hift into Gear鈥� report, inciting companies not to wait but to start preparing now to meet global plastics legislation.

It’s not just a reporting duty

Plastics regulation isn鈥檛 new. It has rapidly spread across the globe like a rising tide, driven by the urgency to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and curb the plastic waste that is choking both marine and land-based ecosystems. Companies now face the growing tide of extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations and pay plastic taxes in certain jurisdictions. Globally, the corporate liabilities linked to plastic usage are projected to exceed US$20 billion by 2030.

In this shifting landscape, 麻豆原创 and Earth Action argue that plastic and data management are no longer reporting duties only, but fundamental business imperatives. Companies that fail to navigate these waters may find themselves sinking under the weight of financial liabilities, whereas those that prepare, comply with regulations, and leverage digital solutions will ride the wave, standing to gain a competitive advantage.

Disparate EPR regulations make compliance onerous and expensive

Originally designed to fund waste management, EPR regulations are now focused on the eco-design and recyclability of items. Complications for corporations arise from the variety of different EPR regulations across different territories. The report describes how one consumer goods company operating in over 180 countries can face a minefield of 30 to 50 different EPR policies, which could cost in the region of 0.5%-1% of final product revenue. For multinational corporations, this can add up to millions of euros of risk鈥攐r opportunity.

Avoidance isn鈥檛 a viable option. Non-compliance comes with significant financial risks including fines, litigation, and potential clean-up costs. Reputational risk linked to consumer protection violations, false advertising, and environmental damage is also a factor that could result in revenue loss and a decline in investor confidence.

麻豆原创 joins forces to lobby for standardization

麻豆原创 is working with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, calling for industry alignment on packaging data. Together, we are pioneering a project to enable standardized data to be exchanged throughout supply chains. This can allow businesses to access and analyze materials from a variety of suppliers to empower the design of more sustainable and recyclable packaging, which can minimize waste and reduce EPR fees and plastic taxes.

Negotiations to finalize the global plastics treaty are expected to resume with delegates due to convene for INC 5.2 in 2025.

Companies should not delay

The report is clear. Companies must not wait for a finalized treaty before taking action. With a myriad of national and regional regulations already in existence, including the EU鈥檚 Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), there is already work to do. Delaying compliance may leave companies lagging behind and unable to meet existing and upcoming regulations, leading to the financial and reputational risks already mentioned. Under the PPWR, for example, the penalties for non-compliance are not just theoretical鈥攖hey are a looming reality. Each EU member state can impose sanctions that are effective, proportionate, and dissuasive, ranging from hefty fines to sales bans or mandatory product recalls because of non-compliant packaging. In other words, the clock is ticking and the consequences of inaction could hit harder than anticipated.

Early adopters stand to benefit from their experience and will be better prepared for the shifting regulatory field when the treaty enters into force. By proactively implementing robust data management solutions and streamlining their reporting processes, they can start to make gains in terms of circularity and sustainability. In doing so, they will obtain an unprecedented view of their plastic material flows, allowing them to unlock efficiencies and reduce risk.

Data management is critical

Contrary to an often referred to argument put forward by treaty detractors, the data organizations require for compliance does exist and can be found within existing enterprise systems. Companies should look to their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and financial reporting platforms. These are treasure troves, filled with procurement records, supplier data, and waste management information鈥攌ey assets for reporting purposes.

Businesses should also coordinate with their suppliers and customers with a view to data sharing for resource optimization and to scale efficiencies.

Data management systems like help companies collect and use data by aggregating it from third-party systems. It can not only allow sustainability managers to accurately calculate fees and taxes but can give them a lifecycle view of indirect taxation costs and, by considering downstream recyclability and recycled content, the environmental impact of design choices. The solution can also allow users to experiment with switching materials, products, and altering supply chains, providing them with the information they need for agile decision-making.

Prepare for an ambitious treaty

Corporations must invest in their enterprise systems to leverage data and collaborate with their supply chain to meet upcoming legislation and avoid risks and penalties of non-compliance. The sooner they start, the better their competitive advantage. By utilizing data management systems to collect robust data and collaborate with supply chains, they will be equipped to thrive in the era of plastic regulation, limiting their costs, achieving sustainability targets, and complying with evolving regulations.

Darren West is global head of Circular Economy Solutions at 麻豆原创.

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Gonz谩lez Byass is a family-owned producer and distributor of wine and spirits.聽The company uses 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production for quicker, easier and more sustainable production, resulting in a 20 percent reduction of carbon emissions.

Elisabet Braza Valle, 麻豆原创 Supply Chain and Finance head at Gonz谩lez Byass, shares how they run a sustainable business. Learn more.

The partnership has continued to this day with a mission to make great wines and spirits that bring people together. Now, the company has over 2,000 hectares of vines under cultivation in 12 wine-growing regions of Spain, Chile, and Mexico, where the producer deploys sustainable agricultural techniques to bring indigenous vines back into production.

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Running a Responsible Business

鈥淔or us, everything revolves around sustainability,鈥� said Elisabet Braza Valle, head of 麻豆原创 Supply Chain and Finance at Gonz谩lez Byass, during an interview at 麻豆原创 Sapphire Barcelona. 鈥淥ur goal is to be a reference in the wine sector and also in the field of sustainability, and we鈥檙e using technology to do that.鈥�

Valle explained that digitalization is helping to drive efficiency by improving processes and that people are already noticing a more expeditious service. 鈥淎ll the processes are connected,鈥� she said. 鈥淐lients notice that we are preparing their packages and managing their invoices faster than before. That鈥檚 because, thanks to 麻豆原创, we have all the data in the same place.鈥�

In addition to its core 麻豆原创 ERP system, Gonz谩lez Byass recently implemented , a solution that helps enterprises calculate extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations and define corporate commitments to optimize material choices. It鈥檚 also designed to help address all the requirements of the new plastic taxes in Europe.

To help promote a more circular economy, for example, Spanish law mandates an indirect tax levied on plastic in packaging. Calculating the taxable amount is particularly complex and burdensome. Companies must know how much non-recycled plastic is in the non-reusable plastic packaging contained in the shipments they receive. This information should be furnished by the suppliers that now find themselves in a challenging situation as they did not have to comply with this type of requirement before. Collected data must be reliable and verifiable to ensure accuracy when sharing with customers or if it should be questioned by the Spanish tax authorities.

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 solution not only helps us comply with the law, but it also helps us manage our materials more efficiently,鈥� said Valle, who believes one of the greatest assets of the solution is the visibility it provides into the company鈥檚 supplier landscape. 鈥淲e are encouraging all of our suppliers to commit to being more sustainable, and we assess them every year. We also work together to improve our environmental behavior.鈥�

Valle cited several examples of collaborative engagement, such as reducing the weight of glass bottles and using recyclable packaging materials. The company has already substituted some materials with more sustainable alternatives and is buying cardboard boxes and wood sourced from certified forests.

鈥淲e have all the information about our materials in 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, so we can see how much plastic we are using and how much of it is recycled. That determines the amount of tax we pay,鈥� Valle explained. 

All these improvements are part of the company鈥檚 People and Planet program that is designed to ensure a nature-friendly, energy-efficient foundation for future generations. The efforts are paying off.

Simplifying a Complex Landscape

According to its sustainability report for 2022, Gonz谩lez Byass already reuses or recycles 99% of the waste it generates and 79% of the energy it consumes comes from renewable sources. Water conservation efforts include using rainwater for irrigation, underground irrigation, and satellite-controlled irrigation.

Gonz谩lez Byass has already reduced carbon emissions by 20% and is committed to a 55% reduction by 2030. Besides managing its own regulatory obligations in Spain, the company must also be compliant with other regulations in the EU and the UK that impact its business. For example, recycling glass packaging waste is mandatory in all EU Member States. In Spain, this process is driven by Ecovidrio, a non-profit entity managing the Collective System of Extended Producer Responsibility (SCRAP).

鈥淥ne of our next projects is to set up Ecovidrio in the 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production solution, where we manage all our tax declarations and reports,鈥� Valle said. 鈥淎nother critical report is the declaration for the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Technology is helping us become a global reference in the sector because now we鈥檝e integrated all relevant information needed for compliance.鈥�

Four of its wineries have received the Wineries for Climate Protection certification, the first of such credentials specific to the wine industry targeting environmental sustainability. The certification recognizes sustainability activities in wineries in four key areas: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing water, reducing waste, and increasing energy efficiency.

Valle is confident that with the aid of technology Gonz谩lez Byass will not only be a leader and a reference in the sector, but, most importantly, it will secure its place as an exceptional winemaker for posterity. After all, since its most iconic wine , it鈥檚 a good thing Gonz谩lez Byass is doing everything to continue producing the best wines and spirits for future connoisseurs. 

The treaty represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to unleash the potential of business to solve the plastic crisis. Its success is crucial. Production of new plastic is forecast to double by 2040 without new and effective action. Only 10% of plastic is currently recycled, and each year 19 to 23 million tons of plastic end up in our rivers, lakes, and seas. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions from plastics production, management, and disposal represent around 3.3% of global emissions. Exposure to plastics also has implications on human health, with plastic traces being found in our blood.

Fortunately, there is global consensus on the pressing need to end this ecological and environmental crisis, which is why 160 countries and hundreds of observer organizations are working together on this unique opportunity to end plastic pollution.

A Treaty Addressing the Entire Plastics Value Chain

The existing plastics ecosystem is heavily fragmented. Under current conditions, financial flows fund the creation of virgin polymers while a linear material flow continues bringing new plastics to market.

Centered on regulating production and consumption, the negotiations take every stage of the plastic value chain into account, from creation of the primary polymers to how plastic waste is managed. It covers product design for plastic reduction and recycling as well as extended producer responsibility to increase accountability among the most polluting entities while ensuring a just transition for affected communities.

This is an ambitious project. It will involve redesigning products, making circularity possible through repair, reuse, and recycling, and making recycled polymers more economically viable than virgin plastics.

New jobs, markets, and business opportunities will be created by the treaty. Research and development into plastic alternatives will be accelerated to eliminate the health-harming pollutants from plastic that are released at every stage of plastic production. Additionally, it will require the evolution of waste management systems to deal with the legacy of plastic waste.

麻豆原创 Endorses the Business Coalition

The , convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF, assembles businesses and financial institutions committed to supporting the development of an ambitious, effective, and legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution.

“To end plastic pollution, we require both ambitious government policy and accelerated business action. The global plastics treaty offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put in place the right legally binding rules, measures, and incentives to tackle this global problem,” says Rob聽Opsomer, executive lead, Plastics and Finance, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

With over 200 members, including 麻豆原创, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty is calling for global business rules underpinned by harmonized regulations to tackle the full life cycle of plastic products. This will level the global playing field, making it easier for businesses and investors to scale both upstream and downstream solutions, mobilize the right investments, and support new innovations.聽

鈥淔or decades, 麻豆原创 software has been instrumental in enabling our customers to manage material flows, including plastics,” says Natasha Pergl, global sustainability lead, 麻豆原创 Consumer Products. “We understand first-hand the challenges our customers face in managing the complex and fragmented web of regulations in place today that make it difficult to understand current material flows and align upstream efforts with downstream solutions.”

麻豆原创 Calls for Harmonization

Achieving systemic change will require collaboration and joint innovation, which depends on effective, well-functioning communication. Software and network technology are central to bridging the information gap and operationalizing an inclusive plastics ecosystem. The treaty must lay the foundations for harmonized regulations and simplified information flow as well as accelerate the implementation of global rules.

To achieve this, four essential elements need to be in place:

• Common definitions for plastics and packaging to ensure mutual understanding and interoperability: This applies to the categorization of various plastic polymers, how products are structured and denominated, and how they are packaged and sold.
• Harmonization across the plastics life cycle, covering criteria for product design, extended producer responsibility schemes, and assessment for recyclability: This will support businesses to design for circularity and recyclability, ensure that strategic decisions are guided by the capabilities of existing downstream infrastructure, and highlight where new capital investments are needed.
• Harmonized national disclosure schemes to ensure uniformity, comparability, and information transparency: This is essential for giving investors and regulators a base of information for policy steering and decision-making. It will also allow business to harness the full potential of AI-driven innovation to accelerate solutions at scale.
• Recognition of the role of digital tools for traceability: Improved data and the application of digital tracking will enable true progress.

鈥淭he treaty goals are ambitious, but with an agreement that focuses on global rules covering product design and material fate, extended producer responsibility schemes, and chemicals of concern, we can unleash the power of global business to deliver the solutions necessary. Importantly, 麻豆原创 is ready with the processes and systems to help businesses quickly grasp the opportunity and scale impact to end plastic pollution,” says Stephen Jamieson, global head of Circular Economy Solutions, 麻豆原创.

Software solutions, such as and , already allow companies to monitor, measure, and act to facilitate the design of products for a more sustainable and circular economy. But a more effective information flow for better collaboration and innovation is required to achieve systemic change.

The Role of AI

An obvious benefit of agreed common terminology and harmonization of criteria and disclosure rules is that it can open the door for businesses to leverage AI. Some envisaged applications in the production process include reducing virgin polymers and boosting material and supply chain efficiency. Downstream uses such as waste sorting, material recovery, quality control, identifying waste flow trends, and predictive analytics would also be made possible.

A Bold Approach

Discussions in Ottawa were productive and focused on decreasing and restricting plastic production. During the talks, Rwanda and Peru submitted a motion to reduce the production of primary plastic polymers worldwide by 40% by 2040, from a 2025 baseline. Their vision is for this to be legally binding, much like the Paris Agreement to limit global warming.

Robust data clarity and systems for sharing information are crucial for enabling businesses in the implementation of such a treaty. Only by connecting data points throughout the supply chain and across jurisdictions can material flows and emission sources be fully understood.

Work will continue towards INC-5 in Busan, South Korea, in November, where the final text will be agreed prior to being ratified in 2025.

For more information:

Heather Davies is a brand journalist.

Key administrations are aware of this and are starting to act accordingly. Accelerating innovation in industrial products and fuels for a net-zero, circular economy聽is 聽in U.S. President Joe Biden鈥檚 Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative. Meanwhile, the new聽聽is a main element of the European Green Deal.

In parallel, the UN is collaborating multilaterally to create policy to regulate plastics. The UN Plastics Treaty is a consensus by 175 nations to deliver a legally binding agreement to tackle plastic pollution by the end of 2024. This is significant because plastic has become fundamental to the products we create and the packaging we use to contain and ship them. Plastic has an enormous impact on the environment due to the emissions involved in its creation and mismanaged plastic waste polluting the air, the oceans, our food, and even our blood.

Currently, the linear economy dominates, as聽. In the case of plastic, we take oil from the ground, turn it into products and packaging, use them, and throw them out when we鈥檙e finished. Continuing like this isn鈥檛 an option because we will run out of resources, worsen global warming, and cause further damage to our ecosystem. , so materials retain their value and can be reused.

It sounds logical, so why aren鈥檛 we doing it already? The first reason is financial. In the long term, the circular economy will create jobs, cut costs, improve profitability, and secure supply lines. Achieving this, however, requires massive capital investment in the short term. Additionally, more data is required to help us understand the impact of our decisions. And we need a new, more collaborative way of working.

Capital investment-wise, we must invest in designing and manufacturing products with circularity in mind. We need to adapt and build machinery and systems to rescue resources from existing products and turn them into new items. The labor market must evolve to train people in the skills required and to make circular economy jobs attractive, with good remuneration and benefits packages. More wealth must also flow back up the supply chain to ensure the sustainability of raw materials and to enable growth and sustainable manufacturing. To help companies and financial institutions understand the benefits and necessity of the circular economy, more education is required.

Data systems need to evolve to give companies insights on material flow and traceability, help them avoid waste, extend periods of use, recover and regenerate materials, and make informed decisions about products and packaging. This is where 麻豆原创 comes in, with 80% of the world鈥檚 businesses using our software.

Take plastic again: the solution can help businesses trace plastics back to their source polymer to understand what type of material is used in every plastic element in a product. This can help companies prove the environmental credentials of a given plastic. 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production can be used to understand how recycled and recyclable a component is and can help a company understand the true end-to-end cost of a material. This can be useful in regulating certain materials for comparison and decision-making purposes as well as in helping businesses anticipate taxes and fees associated with their products.

We can interrogate upstream supply chain data, which relates to what a product is made from, but we don鈥檛 yet have a complete downstream picture of what happens to a product at its end of life. Recyclability varies wildly between countries, so to understand how recyclable materials are in certain countries or jurisdictions, a partnership approach with national governments, local authorities, NGOs, and others is required to build a database that can inform companies which types of plastic to use or avoid for certain markets to achieve circularity. 麻豆原创 can add value by collecting this data and pulling it into solutions.

At the same time, to embrace the circular economy, our way of working must evolve. Instead of working in silos within our individual businesses and in vertical supply chains, we need to work collaboratively to share the data and bring the skill sets and processes together. For example, 麻豆原创 works with groups of companies, such as with the WBCSD, to establish frameworks for exchanging data.  started with embedded carbon in products, but the application can be extended to track other important material information for the circular economy like recycled content or water content.

Collaborations between businesses and non-corporate bodies accelerate progress. A clear example of this is how, by working with the WBCSD and the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network, 麻豆原创 works towards updating solutions to help customers respond to new requirements that arise from the negotiations.

The ambition is to replicate this approach to plastic for other products, such as steel, batteries, electronics, textiles, and even food. With a circular economy across these industries, I鈥檓 convinced we can get halfway to net zero and if, in parallel, the energy experts continue to move the needle on energy efficiency and renewable power generation, we鈥檒l get the rest of the way.

Learn more about 麻豆原创 Sustainability solutions at .

Darren West is a product expert in Circular Economy at 麻豆原创.

The international enterprise with headquarters in Spain and operations in more than 80 countries has been including environmental protection and economic growth into its DNA and is constantly working on achieving a sustainable business model that will be its future legacy to society and to the planet. Its commitment to the planet is based on four pillars: climate action, biodiversity protection, circularity, and conscious suppliers.

The mission of Zamora Company toward its suppliers is to encourage them to be more sustainable by collaborating closely to substitute product and packaging materials with more sustainable alternatives and to use more recyclable packaging materials to support circular economy principles. It鈥檚 no wonder that, for Zamora, sustainability goes hand in hand with innovation without compromising the highest quality standards. as a conscious company is also focused and aligned with the achievement of the set by the United Nations 2030 agenda.

Accelerating Innovation Through New Packaging Legislation

Since the introduction of a in Spain on January 1, 2023 on non-reusable plastic packaging, companies are required to meet comprehensive reporting requirements.

The tax is an indirect excise tax with an environmental purpose. It aims to internalize the environmental costs related to the manufacturing and consumption of plastic packaging in the price of final products.

The taxable event is the manufacturing, import, or intra-community acquisition of non-reusable plastic packaging for its use within the Spanish market. The plastic packaging tax captures a broad concept of “non-reusable plastic packaging” in its scope, which includes:

• Non-reusable plastic containers 鈥� the law provides definitions of 鈥渘on-reusable,鈥� 鈥減lastic,鈥� and 鈥渃ontainer鈥� for the purpose of this tax
• Semi-finished plastic products, such as preforms and thermoplastic sheets, intended for production of non-reusable plastic containers
• Plastic products aimed to facilitate the closing, trading, or presentation of non-reusable containers

鈥淭he new legislation required us to respond to governmental requisitions and was an additional driver to accelerate our sustainability efforts,鈥� Enrique Gonzalo Mec谩ndez, 麻豆原创 manager in Operations at Zamora Company, explained. 鈥淲ith a cross-departmental team, we were looking to find the most appropriate and scalable software solution to meet the country鈥檚 regulatory requirements and help us with data management, a tax monitor, and reporting and insights.鈥�

Keeping All Data in One Central Place

As a result, Zamora Company found that , an industry cloud-based solution, would best meet its needs. 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production can support manufacturers and retailers in calculating extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations and fees, plastic taxes, and corporate commitments to optimize material choices. In addition, it helps improve design decisions based on costs and planetary impact.聽

鈥淔rom a process standpoint, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production facilitates the incorporation of everything related to sustainability data linked to the material, so that all relevant information is unified in the material master,鈥� Gonzalo Mec谩ndez said. 鈥淎s all information is kept in one place, purchasing work and master data maintenance required to ensure regulatory compliance is centralized, without the need to manually replicate information in different systems.鈥�

鈥淢oreover, leveraging a single and integrated platform with provides the security of working with up-to-date and correct data. Additionally, the data quality application allows our users to detect any lack of information and correct it,鈥� he added. 鈥淲ith deep knowledge and solution experience, our trusted partner , an company, closely supported us during the implementation of 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, as well as the integration with our 麻豆原创 S/4HANA platform.鈥�

The benefits Zamora Company achieved include:

• Ability to rely on 100% correct data, fully aligned with material registration processes
• Cost savings thanks to less administrative work, eased reporting, and a central data repository
• Reduced risk of non-compliance with extended producer responsibility regulations in Spain
• A simple, user-friendly tool to support legal reporting requirements in a timely manner
• Ability to expand solution usage to meet upcoming EPR legislation in other countries, like Italy 

Positive Impact on Customers, Economy, Society, and Environment

鈥淭he project helped us learn more about our products and incorporate their packaging details, so that our company knows exactly how much plastic and non-recycled plastic is being used. In a more strategic phase, this will allow us to evaluate alternative materials and compositions, which can create cost savings for the company and positively contribute to the environment by being able to transition to more sustainable elements,鈥� Gonzalo Mec谩ndez concluded.

Watch a solution to learn how to start acting on a circular economy, design products sustainably, and eliminate waste with 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production. about what benefits other enterprises achieved.

To explore how the comprehensive, cloud-based sustainability solution portfolio from 麻豆原创 can support carbon footprint management, reducing material waste, and becoming a socially responsible business, visit .

Karin Fent is senior director of Global Customer Success, Digital Supply Chain, at 麻豆原创.

Winemaking emerged in Europe several thousand years later, and it is now home to many of the world鈥檚 most famous wine-producing regions. When paired with food or served for special occasions, wine consumed in moderation can awaken the senses and contribute to cherished memories. Spanish wine producer Gonzalez Byass shares this ethos, as to 鈥渂ring moments of joy, helping people to savor and share their most precious moments.鈥�

Headquartered in Jerez de la Frontera, Gonzalez Byass was founded in 1835 as a family-owned collection of wineries across Spain鈥檚 principal wine producing regions, overseeing the wine-making process from vineyard to wineglass. Grapes are harvested from its 2,000 hectares of vines under cultivation in nine wine-growing regions in Spain, Chile, and Mexico, and then pressed in traditional stone tanks, fermented, and the liquid aged in steel or oak barrels. After a few months or years, the wine is bottled and ready for consumption. 

What does not usually come to mind when contemplating the art of winemaking is the amount of plastic and other non-sustainable materials that may be involved, from the material encasing the corks, to the packaging used to safely transport the bottles. Gonzalez Byass saw an opportunity to address its use of plastic and promote regenerative agriculture in its industry through the implementation of a comprehensive and circular economy program in line with the (UN SDGs).

Confronting the Plastic Problem

Plastics are among the most consumed materials in agricultural industry, as they are used in large production structures, production inputs, agrochemical packaging, and food product containers, and thus generate vast amounts of waste. In response, consumers are turning away from single-use materials while governments are adopting an approach in the form of plastic taxes. These taxes are a hugely important policy tool to combat the and discourage the production and use of plastic packaging.  

The European Union (EU) instituted a plastic packaging levy in 2021, with some EU member states, like Spain and Italy, enacting their own new taxes. Spain鈥檚 tax which took effect this year imposes a tax on non-reusable plastic packaging and on waste incineration and disposal in landfills, with the goal of making all packaging in Spain recyclable by 2030.  

This reality has spurred consumer goods producers like Gonzalez Byass to drastically minimize use of plastic. Its efforts have seen the replacement of plastic packaging tapes with paper ones, replacement of plastic in bottle caps with wood and cork, and adoption of more sustainable plastic alternatives like bioplastic made from sugarcane. These steps have been instrumental in helping to recover and recycle 99% of the waste generated. The company also buys cardboard boxes and wood sourced from certified forests in line with its commitment to preserve and regenerate natural resources. 

The Key Role of Suppliers and Data

Plastic taxes are designed to discourage waste, prompting producers and distributors across the supply chain to reconsider their packaging choices. In its efforts to reduce use of plastic and purchase only recyclable packaging materials, Gonzalez Byass also needed to commit to sustainable purchasing throughout the entire value chain. Regular assessments with its suppliers have helped to gauge the progress on both sides. However, this kind of assessment requires not only trust and the fostering of great relationships — a skill at which it excels — but also, crucially, data.  

While the wine producer is committed to both sustainable production and procurement, compliance with new regulations in multiple different regulatory environments is a daunting task. The recently enacted extended producer responsibility measures in Spain and in other countries where it does business mean multiple different data streams, declarations, and timelines in different regions. Managing these myriad competing factors is one of the most complex challenges facing the consumer goods industry today. Being able to collect real-time data and centralize it all in one place is a key requirement for Gonzalez Byass to be able to realize its sustainable ambitions, embed circularity principles into its core business processes and comply with regulations.  

麻豆原创鈥檚 cloud solution for the circular economy, is designed to address all the requirements of the new plastic taxes.

Implemented by Minsait, which offers end-to-end digital transformation solutions, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production will enable Gonzalez Byass to accurately calculate fees and taxes in line with all the latest regulations in key markets, optimize its material choices in line with corporate commitments, and significantly reduce risks from unforeseen future regulations.

麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production provides intelligence that will enable Gonzalez Byass to monitor, measure, and act on its plastic data, so that it can make the most informed choices and carry out the critical work of eliminating waste and regenerating the natural systems that the company cares so passionately about.

Regenerating Nature to Address Biodiversity Loss

The transformation of the agriculture sector in Spain over the past 50 years has significantly boosted productivity and wealth but has also resulted in a substantial increase in the use of natural resources like water, at the cost of soil erosion and a negative impact on genetic diversity. Sustainable business practices require a fundamental shift in the way that we interact with nature, with a recognition that success depends not just on financial profit but also upon careful stewardship of the natural environment.

Gonzalez Byass鈥� vines include indigenous varieties on the verge of extinction that have been coaxed back into production to preserve regional biodiversity. This work is in tandem with its efforts to protect local wildlife, such as placing nesting boxes in a number of its vineyards, creating adequate ecosystems to promote pollination by bees, and promoting reforestation efforts in all the regions where the company operates.  And as water is essential for growing grapes and nurturing life, Gonzalez Byass employs sustainable irrigation techniques that use much less water in order to preserve this precious resource.  

Gonzalez Byass鈥� ambition is to leave the lightest possible footprint on the environment. Its commitment includes promoting sustainable agriculture and implementing circular business practices like precision-tracking plastics from the vineyard to your wineglass.

Next time you buy a bottle of wine, make sure that the company you purchase from has a sustainable vision for the future, and that it is compliant with key regulations that help protect planet and people. That is a goal worth raising a glass of wine.

Meanwhile, in its quest to make all packaging reusable or recyclable by 2030, the United Nations is preparing to launch a plastic treaty in 2024. At the same time, businesses themselves are furthering their commitment to sustainable practices through voluntary agreements, such as those proposed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Consumers are taking up the issue as well. , 91% of consumers express concern over plastic waste. indicates that 73% are willing to spend more for eco-friendly packaging.

Compliance with these new regulations can be a challenging and expensive task for businesses of all sizes. Many smaller to mid-range organizations lack in-house expertise on these issues, often resulting in either rudimentary monitoring or expensive outsourcing. Larger companies may find the immense scale of the task daunting and default to costly shortcuts.

鈥淲ith the complexity that they face and the sheer volume of business they have across multiple products and multiple countries, many organizations tend to be conservative to avoid fines,鈥� explains Darren West, product expert for Circular Economy Solutions at 麻豆原创. 鈥淎s a result, they will more or less approximate what taxes they need to pay, and overestimate to add in some contingency.鈥�

Driving Up Accuracy, Driving Down Costs

For consumer goods giant Henkel, the quest for an effective solution to its plastic waste challenge began in its tax department. Triggered by the advent of plastic taxes across the UK and EU, Henkel’s tax experts embarked on a project aimed at addressing compliance from a fiscal perspective.

On the IT side, the team was immediately faced with some significant hurdles. First, to comply with new regulations and avoid penalties, it needed a system that could monitor, measure, and report its products鈥� plastic data. Amidst a limited market of solutions, finding the right tool for its needs was no easy task 鈥� one made more difficult due to the newness of the regulations. And it needed to aggregate and organize the essential master data for accurate reporting without excessively complicating or inflating the cost of its IT infrastructure.

was born out of a desire for a more dynamic approach to plastic waste. The solution can supply teams with a streamlined, granular data management system to help facilitate the monitoring, measuring, and reporting related to the environmental impact of production and packaging.

Today, the 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production solution assists operations such as Henkel鈥檚 in navigating the labyrinth of product and packaging composition. Handling the details of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging, as well as transport packaging throughout the supply chain, requires a meticulous approach. The solution offers a digital model of the larger packaging and product landscape, helping facilitate a thorough and accurate impact analysis.

To encapsulate the complexity of the packaging process, the solution can capture precise data on material flows and circularity attributes. It can also assist teams in recording the weights, volumes, and shipment information as well as important details regarding recycled content, import/export information, and the various packaging components. This precision is crucial for calculating plastic taxes as well as EPR fees, which demand exceptional accuracy and knowledge of detailed material flows within a country and across borders.

In the future, 麻豆原创 plans to extend the solution to help track and monitor the recyclability, reusability, and embedded CO2 of various materials. Such data is essential for organizations seeking to comprehend their scope 3 emissions across their entire packaging portfolio and to make their packaging more sustainable.

The solution helps provide results that businesses can stand behind, saving time and money and decreasing complexity 鈥� particularly when it comes to new markets. If an enterprise is based in one country, such as Belgium or the Netherlands, and is looking to expand, say, to France and Italy 鈥� which each have their own distinct systems and rules to govern packaging 鈥� the complexity of data management increases. With 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, material, packaging, and transportation data can be tailored for new market expansions without repeating the same processes.

But the real beauty lies in the solution鈥檚 ability to adapt once the data is integrated. It can seamlessly adjust to different market requirements, working to enable straightforward report generation for tax and EPR compliance at the click of a button.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e talking about here is simplicity,鈥� says West.

Redesigning a More Sustainable Future

Data and insights are just the start. The real challenge is translating this information into action.

Beyond supporting businesses in fulfilling operational obligations such as paying plastic taxes and accurately calculating EPR fees, the solution can enable informed strategic decisions. By offering insights into the impact of material choices and compositions, it helps empower businesses to embrace sustainable and responsible packaging solutions and business models.

After working with 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production, Henkel was able to meet its fundamental obligations more efficiently, gaining better insight into its data. These new capabilities have delivered far more than short-term efficiencies. They鈥檝e spotlighted Henkel’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, adding a new dimension to its green leadership in the industry.

鈥淥ne of the greatest things about this solution is what it does for an organization like Henkel,鈥� says Stephen Jamieson, global head of Circular Economy Solutions at 麻豆原创. 鈥淣amely, allowing it to evidence the good work it is already doing very effectively.鈥�

Henkel鈥檚 initiative with 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production dovetails well with a related Henkel initiative to strengthen supplier communication, collect more data, and enrich its sustainability database.

These efforts equip Henkel鈥檚 teams to pinpoint the products with the highest plastic tax load. These insights could soon guide strategic product redesign, potentially leading to significant cost savings. Moreover, by laying a solid foundation in regions such as Spain and the UK, Henkel is preparing itself to adapt to regulatory changes across markets.

The Road Ahead

As the global economy begins to look towards a more circular model, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production is innovating in stride. Recognizing that businesses interact with diverse material types, the solution will expand in the future to accommodate elements such as food, land use, textiles, batteries, waste electronics, and more 鈥� all cornerstones of the circular economy 鈥� measuring key factors such as virgin materials, recycled content, embedded CO2, and renewable content.

At its core, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production aims to assist organizations in actualizing their circular economy vision 鈥� eliminating waste, promoting material circulation, and rejuvenating natural systems. The solution is engineered to integrate smoothly with essential business processes and systems, empowering businesses to implement their sustainability strategies with more precision and efficacy. Whether it’s incorporating cost calculations into invoice procedures or integrating with other solutions to create a more holistic approach to sustainable practices overall, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production can assist teams in transforming their business operations.

鈥淎t Henkel, we are committed to leadership in plastics reduction and offering greener options for our customers,鈥� says Dr. Nora Mundschenk, corporate director, Finance Tax and Trade Group, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. 鈥溌槎乖� Responsible Design and Production and 麻豆原创 Services and Support are going to help us do that.鈥�

For more information on how 麻豆原创 helps companies record, report, and act on their sustainability goals, visit聽.

Sami Emory is a brand journalist at 麻豆原创.

If you are using or producing plastic packaging, it is important to know whether your company is affected by the legislation and how 麻豆原创 can help.

What Are Plastic Packaging Taxes?

Plastic packaging taxes are taxes that are imposed on companies that produce or import plastic packaging. The aim of plastic packaging taxes is to encourage companies to reduce their use of plastic packaging and increase the use of more sustainable alternatives. Two countries, the UK and Spain, have already introduced plastic packaging taxes and others, such as Italy and Germany, have announced their plans to follow.

Why Are Plastic Packaging Taxes Becoming More Popular?

In Europe, one reason for the growing popularity of plastic packaging taxes is the introduction of a European Plastic Packaging Levy in 2021. This levy requires member states to pay 鈧�0.80 for each kilogram of plastic packaging waste that is not recycled in their country. Many countries are now considering passing on these costs to the industry through national plastic packaging taxes.

Globally, there are also events that indicate that more regulation is to be expected. For example, in March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly has agreed to launch negotiations on a legally binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution. For countries to comply with the legally binding provisions and obligations of this UN treaty, they will most likely strengthen their national laws regarding plastics.

What Makes the Administration of Plastic Packaging Taxes Complicated?

The details of the plastic packaging tax legislation vary from country to country, such as:

• Which packaging types and levels are included in the tax?
• What is the taxable event, like imports, production, or distribution?
• What are the reporting obligations? What forms need to be filled and how often?
• What are the rules for recycled plastic content in packaging?
• Are there any exemptions for certain types of packaging, such as packaging used for human medicine or tertiary packaging?

The more countries introduce plastic packaging taxes, the more difficult it will be for global companies to keep track and be compliant. This is where comes in.

How Does 麻豆原创 Support Customers in Plastic Packaging Tax Legislation Compliance?

麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production is a cloud solution specifically designed to help 麻豆原创 customers holistically manage packaging and regulatory risk across global markets and support the transition to a sustainable packaging portfolio.

Some capabilities of 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production are:

• 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production is a cloud solution that is subscribed to via (麻豆原创 BTP).
• 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production has a unified data model. Packaging data, material master data, and transactional data can be replicated via a public API provided by the solution. Alternatively, or additionally, an Excel-upload is possible for all data objects.
• Plastic packaging tax reports and the underlying calculation logic is provided as content-as-a-service in 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production. This means that reporting can be largely automated, in line with the latest regulations.
• Reports can be configured by organizational data filters; other configurations are not necessary as the calculation logic is strictly coded according to the regulatory requirements.
• Additional analysis capabilities are provided in 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production for analyzing the packaging portfolio and the resulting fees and taxes.
• Calculated fees can be replicated back into 麻豆原创 ERP Central Component or 麻豆原创 S/4HANA as condition records, such as for use in invoicing.

The 麻豆原创 solution can provide a number of powerful benefits for companies. By creating a single source of truth for packaging data, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production helps eliminate repetitive, manual pre-reporting processes, such as data collection and cleansing. Furthermore, it can accurately calculate fees and taxes in line with the latest regulations, helping companies to reduce regulatory exposure. In addition to reporting to regulatory bodies, it can also enable reporting on various levels of granularity to non-governmental organizations, customers, and other brand-related communications. Finally, the solution can enable companies to analyze and keep track of their entire packaging portfolio, allowing them to track improvements and meet their sustainability commitments.

For more information and to learn how could work in your system environment, please contact circulareconomy@sap.com.

Katharina Schweitzer is a business process consultant at 麻豆原创.

Negotiations should conclude by the end of 2024. Now, over a year into the negotiation period, how are businesses preparing for the new legislation?

What Is the Plastic Problem?

The 鈥溾�� report on marine litter produced in 2021 by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was unequivocal on the issue. Since the 1950s, we have generated around 6.9 billion tons of plastic and are adding to this at a rate of over 400 million tons per year.

Of all the plastic produced to date, only an estimated 14% has been incinerated and only 10% has been recycled. The remaining 76% has gone to landfills or ended up in the environment. Waste management systems can鈥檛 cope, which has led to the widespread contamination of our waterways, seas, and oceans by an estimated 8 million tons of plastic every year.

Plastic is a cocktail of fossil fuels and chemicals that breaks down slowly into microplastics, damaging marine environments from the shore to the deepest parts of the ocean. Apart from damaging marine life, they are a threat to people as they make their way into our food chain and drinking water.

Two countries, Spain and the UK, have already taken their first steps with the introduction of plastic taxes on non-recyclable packaging and packaging using less than 30% recycled content respectively. That said, at the time the report was written, there was no consistent policy framework to ensure global action to combat plastic pollution.

麻豆原创鈥檚 Role

The 麻豆原创 Circular Economy Solutions team, led by Stephen Jamieson, began work on this issue five years ago. The team is an active member of the , convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF, alongside some of the world鈥檚 biggest businesses and financial institutions.

麻豆原创鈥檚 response to the resolution was to create a digital solution that would enable customers to apply the framework to their business as well as provide feedback to policymakers on what is and isn鈥檛 working.

The Biggest Business Challenge to Eliminating Plastic Pollution

鈥淭he biggest challenge is how to decouple virgin plastic production from growth. We need to break that connection, but, to date, nobody has the solution,鈥� Jamieson says. 鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 strategy is data-driven. By helping our clients understand the implications of using virgin plastic and having information about alternative options at their fingertips, businesses can find a pathway to more sustainable growth.鈥�

A Data-Driven Solution

With customers at all levels of the value chain, 麻豆原创 set out to help its clients solve this problem using technology. Initial discussions with 30 or so organizations helped 麻豆原创 understand the complexities involved and led us to identify the need for a plastics data resource. 麻豆原创 built the 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production solution to help deliver the information companies require to identify strategies and solutions for eliminating plastics or moving to other solutions such as reuse schemes.

Data transparency is key to begin the process of decoupling growth from virgin plastics and to facilitate a transition to a more circular economy. The first step involves measurement, in effect creating a digital twin of the plastic item a company produces to allow them to fully understand the types and amounts of components involved in the product itself. Then we do the same for the primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging.

Once the measurement phase is complete, the software can be used to apply EPR (extended producer responsibility) policies and local plastic taxes to the different components. With this data applied, businesses can compare materials like-for-like by connecting with digital material libraries to find the best-fit alternatives.

Once a new solution has been identified, the by 麻豆原创 solution comes into play. With its blockchain-based approach, the recycled content of products can be verifiable, which helps prevent fraud and provide assurance to customers.

Is There an Appetite to Change Business Practices around Plastic?

The desire to find solutions has evolved dramatically in the last five years. The level of seniority of the people driving the discussions and their determination is palpable. Rather than seeing this issue as an unnecessary cost, business leaders are genuinely engaged in finding solutions for several reasons.

Firstly, they recognize that the plastic problem is inextricably linked to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss and understand that change is necessary if we鈥檙e to stay within planetary boundaries.

Secondly, there is a feeling that solving the plastic problem will open the door to the next phase of growth, profitability, and social equity. This is creating a high level of competition between key players in the market.

Thirdly, companies are concerned with their reputation. They want to be on the right side of history and retain the loyalty and trust of their customers. In addition, there is now an acceptance 鈥� which didn鈥檛 exist previously 鈥� that there is no real downside to pursuing a solution.

These drivers coupled with data-driven technology means businesses will be ready, some even in an advanced position, when the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution comes into force.

For more information on how 麻豆原创 helps companies record, report, and act on their sustainability goals, visit聽.

Heather Davies is a sustainability brand journalist.

This includes artificial intelligence (AI) embedded into the 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing solution, 3D product and operations viewer capabilities in manufacturing, service and maintenance processes, and adherence to sustainable packaging guidelines in the 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production solution.

• Advancements to Supply Chain Software from 麻豆原创 Enable Risk-Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chain Operations

In today’s world, constant disruption has become the new normal. Resilience is essential for businesses to withstand the forces of change. To achieve it, companies are looking to redesign their supply chain and manufacturing processes to consider cost, speed, profit, customer service and risk. According to a global , manufacturing executives are more likely than those in other functions to deploy intelligent technologies at scale to improve predictive analytics capabilities. However, only 36% of the 1,000 survey respondents said they have deployed predictive analytics in any part of their enterprise. To become more resilient, 麻豆原创 customers can employ AI embedded into 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing for AI-driven insights and AI-powered visual inspection processes. Customers can ensure that defective parts are discovered early and are addressed quickly, producing higher yield, ready-to-deliver quality materials. The lower product defect rates result in fewer service claims and improved asset health and maintenance.

鈥淚n recent years, it has become apparent that our global supply chains are vulnerable to disruption,鈥� said Thomas Saueressig, member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE responsible for 麻豆原创 Product Engineering. 鈥淭his has far-reaching consequences for the manufacturing industry as well. 麻豆原创 is a driving force in many industry-relevant initiatives, such as Catena-X and Manufacturing-X. Open data ecosystems, especially, have their place in the manufacturing industry. What is more, in many of the conversations I鈥檝e had with business leaders, and according to our latest Oxford Economics study, it becomes clear: They see the need of investing in Industry 4.0 principles and AI to increase supply chain resiliency, but many are still in the piloting stage. 麻豆原创 is in a unique position to accelerate the journey to resilient manufacturing because we can embed intelligent capabilities in enterprise software across all end-to-end-processes.鈥�

Smart 麻豆原创 Shop, a joint venture of and , reached a new milestone in automotive production by using AI embedded in 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing. Adapting a cloud-first development strategy, Smart 麻豆原创 Shop enables fully paperless production and a completely automated process for configuring production-line machinery for pressing automotive body parts. With the help of 麻豆原创 software and embedded AI, Smart 麻豆原创 Shop can assess the quality of materials in real time and adjust machine performance to improve downstream processes in logistics and operations.

鈥淲ith the help of 麻豆原创 solutions, we were very quickly able to build a system landscape at the Smart 麻豆原创 Shop based on the principles of Industry 4.0 and covering our requirements, such as self-optimizing production, end-to-end traceability and resource-saving production,鈥� said Hendrik Rothe, CEO, Smart 麻豆原创 Shop GmbH & Co. KG. 鈥淲ithin a few months, our core solutions 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, public edition as well as 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing were ready for use. Above all, the solutions enable us to process data in real time, to handle our entire production without paper, and ultimately to make all our processes transparent. Thus, we are very flexible and positioned for the future.鈥�

3D Capabilities to Strengthen Resiliency

To further help manufacturing become more resilient, the 3D product viewer capabilities of the 麻豆原创 Enterprise Product Development solution are now integrated into manufacturing, service and maintenance processes. In 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, production operators now can view 3D product models in their dashboard and work environment to streamline complex assembly. In the 麻豆原创 Service and Asset Manager mobile app, field engineers can use 3D augmented reality views to accelerate asset maintenance, increase first time fix rates and reduce downtime.

Sustainability Initiatives Are Still at the Top of Business Agendas

According to the Oxford Economics study, 28% of supply chain executives include improving sustainability metrics as one of their top three strategic goals. To enable not only risk-resilient but also sustainable supply chain operations, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production now supports company-specific sustainable package guidelines. Customers can monitor, measure and act to eliminate waste during packaging design.

麻豆原创 had extended its integration with business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis SAS within the Trading Partner Profile (TPP). The integration enables suppliers to promote their sustainability performance and showcase their EcoVadis sustainability rating status across 麻豆原创 Business Network. This helps buyers identify opportunities to comply with emerging ESG due diligence and reporting legislation, as well as enabling them to select new suppliers who can help them reach ambitious corporate and value chain sustainability commitments.

These innovations are helping customers achieve better visibility across their supply chain operations and to ultimately increase resiliency.

Visit the to learn more about how 麻豆原创 software helps:

You will also find out how .

Visit the 麻豆原创 News Center. Follow 麻豆原创 on Twitter at .

HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for industry. About 4,000 companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital industries as well as the energy sector will showcase technologies and solutions for a connected and climate-neutral industry. Visit the 麻豆原创 booth in Hall 15, E17 from April 17鈥�21, 2023.

About the Oxford Economics Study: On behalf of 麻豆原创, Oxford Economics conducted a global supply chain survey of 1,000 supply chain executives and professionals in 15 industries across the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, UK, Italy, China and Japan. One third of the sample was made up of companies with US$500M to $999M in annual revenue, with one third having between $1B and $10B and one third generating over $10B in revenue. Survey respondents participated in the research using a computer-assisted telephonic interviewing methodology (CATI). Interviews were carried out in January and February of 2023.

About 麻豆原创

麻豆原创鈥檚 strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent, sustainable enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 麻豆原创 customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 麻豆原创 helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 麻豆原创 helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit .

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Despite its usefulness and in alignment with the aims of organizations such as the and the , governments, businesses, and civil society聽are cooperating on ways to curb the waste and pollution it causes.

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A First Step聽聽聽聽

As part of international efforts to fight climate change, for example, the European Union (EU) launched the , an action plan for transforming the economy from a linear one to a circular one that designs out waste and pollution. One key measure in tackling plastic pollution is the plastics tax applied to single-use plastic, plastic packaging, and microplastics.

Rather than a regional tax, however, the EU has mandated a national contribution from each of the 27 member states based on the amount of non-recycled plastic packaging waste it generates. The tax design varies greatly state by state, with some focusing on packaging in general and others on single use only. Some have different taxes for domestic or foreign-sourced plastic products. In short, member states are allowed to implement the tax in their own way, with their own rules and regulations.

The result is a an extremely fragmented landscape. Dealing with it requires the right strategy, tools, and expertise, especially in the areas of compliance and international supply chains. On January 1, for example, the Special Tax on non-reusable plastic containers took effect in Spain, imposing 鈧�0.45 per kilo of non-reusable plastic.

鈥淭his new tax presents a number of challenges for companies, not only because they will have to pay the designated tax, but because they will have to address this new process within the organization,鈥� says Maria Monasor, 麻豆原创 sustainability principal EMEA South and a spokesperson for 麻豆原创 Spain. 鈥淥ne of the greatest issues is the amount of information that needs to be collected and analyzed, all coming from different sources and, in many cases, from different countries, hampering collaboration.鈥�

Last April, the government in the UK introduced the first (UK PPT) to be implemented globally. The UK tax is 拢200 per metric ton of plastic packaging either produced聽in or聽imported into the UK that does not聽contain聽at least 30% recycled plastic.聽Like their European counterparts, UK companies face two key challenges: getting the data to prepare their tax return and processing it to make tax decisions.

A Practical Solution

As has been the case with many challenges in recent times, technology has become a fundamental element in helping companies resolve their issues. is a cloud solution created specifically to facilitate the design of products for a circular economy and to help address the entire process involved in the new taxes.

Besides working to simplify manual reporting processes through automation, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production allows companies to access data on logistics and materials, including details on the composition of packaging. 鈥淲ith this tool, companies will be able to calculate and submit reports in relation to the Spanish tax on plastics and reduce the risks of non-compliance,鈥� says Monasor.

The Ultimate Goal

In the long run, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production can enable organizations to increase their sustainability KPI measurement and management capabilities as well as gain better visibility into material flows across all business processes. Improved traceability helps increase the accuracy of plastic tax payments and mitigates compliance risks. The solution can also implement changes to regulations and taxes and optimize the choice of materials for packaging to help reduce those taxes and boost circularity, which is the ultimate goal of the tax.

Despite all efforts to date, about 90% of the plastic currently produced worldwide is not recycled. 鈥淭he EU plastic tax and the UK PPT are harbingers of the worldwide movement reinforcing the polluter pays principle alongside extended producer responsibility,鈥� says Stephen Jamieson, global head of Circular Economy Solutions at 麻豆原创.

By disincentivizing the use of unsustainable materials, governments are incentivizing the market value of recyclable plastic, fostering a sustainable circular economy that will have global repercussions. Estimates indicated that plastic tax contributions would provide the EU with approximately 鈧�7 billion of additional revenue each year.

These efforts are only the first steps on a long, arduous journey. While most nations agree on the necessity to curb plastic, many are hesitant about the supply chain disruption it can bring to their economies. The ones that are embarking on the journey are pioneers whose efforts will provide valuable lessons for the ones that follow. The is to facilitate the process of transforming from a linear to a circular economy and to enable cooperation between nations, organizations, and their partners, no matter how fragmented the landscape. 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production fills that role by enabling companies to meet their sustainability commitments, comply with legislation, and develop more circular processes.