According to research by the German Environment Agency, 12.3 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually in Germany alone. This makes Germany the largest plastic producer in Europe. The recycling rate is low, a large part of the plastics end up in incinerators, landfills or in the environment. Therefore, the demand for plastics and packaging based on renewable raw materials is growing. At the same time, the demands on innovative packaging and bioplastics are high, because they should be as durable and resilient as usual, recyclable and compostable. To ensure that bioplastics production does not compete with food production, it must be based on residual and waste materials from agricultural and forestry production (co-production) or take place in a so-called cascade use. The Plant³ Alliance is providing funding for projects which focus on developing innovative packaging and bioplastics.