System integration & design

One of the eight program lines of Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) focuses on material and process technology developments of circular plastics, including packaging design and attention to reducing and/or preventing the generation of microplastics.

This program line focuses on systems integration, of which design is a component. This program line addresses the dependence of the design phase on materials and (end) products that are reused or recycled. It also focuses on tool development so that the impact of design on sustainability can be easily understood. In this way, design criteria and conditions can be guided in (new) product developments in order to increase recyclability.

Roland ten Klooster has been appointed program manager for the Design component of this CPNL program line. "Can't be done, doesn't exist. The role of plastic packaging design and development is large, but this chain can also be closed. I like to look for the bottlenecks in the value chain to show that it is possible to close the plastic packaging chain technologically, but also from the marketing and design phase on a large scale."

Roland ten Klooster program manager for Design at Circular Plastics NL

As manager for the design component, Roland ensures operational and organizational activities and connection to industry developments to ensure program goals are met. Als part of the National Growth Fund program working at Circular Plastics NL industry and the research community are working together to make the value chain of plastic products technologically innovative and circular.

"CPNL has worked with Roland as program manager an expert in the field of product development in who with his knowledge and experience is a very welcome addition to the team. Roland connects science with practice, is aware of the latest developments within this the playing field of design of and with plastic materials. Besides a connecting role in the market, he will also support his fellow program line managers with design issues when necessary."

Marc Spekreijse, general manager Circular Plastics NL:

"With Roland as program manager ,CPNL has appointedan expert in the field ofproduct development who , with his knowledge and experience, is a very welcome addition to the team. Roland connects science with practice, is aware of the latest developments within the playing field of design of and with plastic materials. In addition to a connecting role in the market, he will also support his fellow program line managers with design issues where necessary."

About Roland ten Klooster

Roland ten Klooster graduated with an MSc in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology in 1987 on the design of plastic packaging for beer for Heineken. He worked one year for Heineken Technical Services and at Formaat, an agency in product development.

In 1991 he was one of the founders of Plato product consultants, an agency that grew into a specialist in structural packaging design, working for multinationals and SMEs. Activities of the firm are design and engineering of packaging concepts from sketch to running packaging line.

Roland wrote a dissertation on how decisions are made in packaging design and came up with a methodical approach to optimize this process, which he defended at Delft University of Technology in 2002. Since 2006, he has held a part-time position at the University of Twente with the Chair in Packaging Design and Management. To date, more than 130 master's students have graduated in packaging and an estimated 70-80 work in the field as packaging designers, engineers, technologists or researchers.

'From waste back to raw materials with innovation'

'From waste back to raw materials with innovation'

Roland on the role of plastic packaging design and system integration in CPNL's goal of making the chain circular in NL: "More knowledge is needed to make sustainable choices earlier in the chain. In which sharper choices are made in the design phase, this results in integrally better recyclable materials. The Circular Plastics NL program offers an opportunity to map out where an injection of knowledge is needed with a tool, the 'multi-criteria decision-support tool'. This can be used to guide conditions for circular packaging design. In my role as program manager, I especially look forward to the moments where we get stuck and where I can contribute to the solution by translating knowledge into practice."