Over two years, 15 industry advisors worked closely with labs, academics and stakeholders to refine the Designing for a Circular Economy (D4ACE) guidelines. We sat down with a few of them to hear what stood out from the testing programme… and what comes next.
Interview with Isabelle Jenny, Sustainability Manager, Amcor and a key advisor to the ‘Phase 2’ testing project.
Looking back on your involvement, what was one key challenge or knowledge gap the Phase 2 testing programme helped address, and how has that strengthened the new guidance?
One of the long-standing challenges has been the proliferation of national Design for Recycling (DfR) tables across Europe, many of which are based on expert opinion rather than objective testing. This makes it difficult for companies like Amcor, operating across multiple markets, to invest in scalable, harmonised packaging solutions.
The D4ACE Phase 2 programme helps close this gap by generating real-world evidence through at-scale lab-based recyclability testing, supported by independent academic review and the value chain. By using a consistent methodology, advancing laboratory practices together and engineered base materials, the programme delivered robust, comparable results for hundreds of flexible packaging structures.
This evidence now underpins clearer thresholds for materials like EVOH, inks, and adhesives. That clarity is critical; it allows design teams to move from theoretical recyclability to confident, performance-based decision-making, grounded in infrastructure realities.
“The scale and structure of the testing programme was impressive: not just the number of samples, but the collaborative way it brought together experts from industry, academia and labs across Europe.”
The testing programme gathered over 1,700 data points and 600+ samples. What surprised or impressed you most in the results or methodology to achieve them?
The scale and structure of the testing programme was impressive: not just the number of samples, but the collaborative way it brought together experts from industry, academia and labs across Europe.
The methodology also stood out as contributing the use of engineered base materials (EBMs) allowed us to isolate and assess the impact of specific components – like inks, tie layers or barrier materials – in a controlled way. This level of detail is crucial for flexible packaging, where small changes can have a big impact on sortability or recyclability.
Working with academic partners like Maastricht and Ghent Universities brought added rigour. Their involvement helped ensure transparency, credibility, and gave confidence that the results could support real design and policy decisions.
In your view, why is adoption of this guidance essential for companies aiming to meet upcoming PPWR targets for recyclability and recycled content – and what additional value does it provide?
The PPWR is setting a new direction for packaging -introducing recyclability performance scores, minimum thresholds, and mandatory recycled content. For flexible packaging, that means we need to move fast from ambition to action.
D4ACE is one of the best resources available to do that. It reflects real infrastructure conditions, has been built collaboratively with the value chain, and is directly feeding into the development of harmonised EU norms through CEN TC261/SC4/WG10. For companies, this makes it both a credible reference and a practical starting point.
Adopting D4ACE helps teams align design decisions with future regulatory expectations; and reduces the risk of needing to redesign packaging at the last minute. The open-access reports, explainers and upcoming updates to the Design Check tool also make it easier to embed this guidance across R&D, procurement and sustainability teams.
Most importantly, it enables progress. Not by prescribing perfection, but by offering a trusted foundation to move forward to better quality recycling, recyclates and compliance.
“Most importantly, it enables progress. Not by prescribing perfection, but by offering a trusted foundation to move forward to better quality recycling, recyclates and compliance.”
Isabelle Jenny, Sustainability Manager, Amcor