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Die Bilanzierung von Umweltwirkungen spielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Entwicklung nachhaltiger und umweltfreundlicher Technologien und Konzepte. Dies gilt auch in der Entwicklung von Gebäuden mit adaptiven Hüllen und Strukturen und stellt darüber hinaus weitreichende Anforderungen an alle beteiligten Disziplinen. Die vollständige Integration der Ökobilanzierung in den Planungs- und Auslegungsprozess ermöglicht, Umweltwirkungen als Optimierungsgrößen in den komplexen, dynamischen Berechnungswerkzeugen einzusetzen. Die bisherigen Ergebnisse des SFB 1244 bescheinigen adaptiven Tragwerken und Fassaden großes Potenzial zur Einsparung von Ressourcen und Umweltwirkungen. Die ganzheitliche Betrachtungsweise, sowohl in Bezug auf den Lebenszyklus als auch auf die interdisziplinären Wechselwirkungen, stellt sicher, dass die relevanten Effekte und Einflüsse in der Bilanzierung berücksichtigt werden. Das stellt die Methode der Ökobilanzierung selbst jedoch vor neue Herausforderungen im Umgang mit einer Vielzahl an Varianten und den umfangreichen Wechselwirkungen zwischen Auslegung und Einflüssen auf Parameter in der Nutzungsphase, wie z. B. den Energieverbrauch oder die Lebensdauer.

Due to the high consumption of resources and energy in the construction sector, the development of resource-efficient and sustainable construction solutions is gaining increasing attention. The awareness of sustainability and resource conservation results in the interest of using natural and renewable materials in contemporary architecture. Timber construction methods offer both constructive and ecological potential for sustainable solutions. From a building physics perspective, the acoustic performance of lightweight buildings, such as those made of timber, presents a challenge. Even if standard requirements are met, the increased low-frequency sound transmission typical for light-weight construction can cause discomfort and is already the subject of questions in building physics, which are currently increasingly extending to timber construction. Within the framework of a holistic approach, this paper compares the problem of acoustic properties, design optimizations and the ecological properties of timber-frame and solid timber construction components. The comparison with heavy materials, such as concrete, shows the relation of acoustic optimization with the change of the environmental profile. In order to establish the interaction between acoustic quality of wooden ceiling constructions and their ecological characteristics, this article aims to demonstrate the potential of materials used in the building sector under ecological aspects considering a life cycle analysis., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Background: Undisclosed sexual infection risks are the main reasons for transfusion transmissible infections in German blood donors that have qualified for donation by donor health interviews and questionnaires. Until now, data about compliance with deferral criteria were only available from post-donation interviews with infected donors, and information about the proportion of donors which did not disclose (sexual) risks at the donor health questionnaire was not available. Methods: A prospective nationwide anonymous online survey was conducted to investigate compliance of whole blood donors with deferral criteria for sexual infection risks. Twenty-one blood establishments which represent 80% of the regular whole blood-donor population invited all donors which donated blood during an 8-week period between January and March 2020. Results: 14,882 participants completed the questionnaire. A relevant proportion of non-compliance was shown (3.0%, 95% CI: 2.7–3.3%) – with male donors being non-compliant significantly more frequently than females (3.5% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001). A quarter of the non-compliant men were MSM (0.9%, 95% CI: 0.7–1.1%). Non-compliance was strongly associated with the perception that questions about sexual risk exposures are too private. This is in line with the finding that a large proportion of donors (21%) refused to answer at least one question about sexual infection risks. Conclusion: The presented data, collected for the first time, is suitable for assessing the impact of changes in the donor selection process. Donor’s limited willingness to provide detailed information about sexual risk behaviour has to be kept in mind when further strategies for fair appraisal of individual sexual infection risks will be discussed.

The challenges concerning climate change require innovative approaches. Adaptive façades (AF) represent a promising approach, as making the façade adaptable brings several benefits such as less energy usage or increased comfort. Nevertheless, they are not widely used in practice, since the known advantages/motivators appeal in particular to stakeholders who have little involvement in the decision-making of the design process and entail compromises to stakeholders who do. In this article it is shown that besides the known advantages and compromises of AF, there are further motivators for stakeholders with high decision-making power. In a case study, a building with typical centralized ventilation is compared with a building where an AF with an integrated ventilation system was installed to substitute the centralized ventilation system. This results in a lower building height and corresponding weight of the construction, as the central duct system can be eliminated. 3 m of building height and up to 340 tons of material can be saved, which results in avoided impact on climate change of 110 tons CO2-eqviv. (-7%). During utilization, 615 tons of CO2-eqviv. Can be avoided. The lifecycle costs can be reduced by 485,000 € while the rentable floor space can be increased by 4%.

ZusammenfassungDie Erfassung von Daten zu SARS-CoV-2-Testungen in Deutschland sind für die Einschätzung des Infektionsgeschehens im Rahmen der COVID-19-Pandemie von zentraler Bedeutung. Am Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) werden dazu die Daten aus verschiedenen Systemen zur Erfassung von Labortestungen zusammengeführt. In diesem Beitrag werden zunächst bedeutsame Aspekte der Testverfahren erläutert. Nachfolgend werden die unterschiedlichen Systeme zur Erfassung von Labortestungen erläutert und Testzahlen aus der RKI-Testlaborabfrage und der laborbasierten Surveillance SARS-CoV‑2 sowie die Abrechnungsdaten der kassenärztlichen Vereinigungen zu SARS-CoV-2-Labortestungen dargestellt.Mit der RKI-Testlaborabfrage und der laborbasierten Surveillance SARS-CoV‑2 stand früh in der Pandemie eine Surveillance zur Verfügung, mit der unter den teilnehmenden Laboren Daten zu durchgeführten Testungen und Testkapazitäten ausgewertet werden können. Durch die Erfassung von positiven und negativen Testergebnissen sind Aussagen zur Gesamtzahl der durchgeführten Testungen sowie dem Anteil der positiven Testergebnisse möglich. Während die aggregierten Testzahlen bundesweit weitestgehend repräsentativ sind, ist die Repräsentativität auf Bundesland- und Landkreisebene aber nicht immer gegeben. Die Abrechnungsdaten der Kassenärztlichen Vereinigungen können die Labordaten im Nachhinein ergänzen. Sie erlauben eine retrospektive Einschätzung der Gesamtzahl von SARS-CoV-2-Tests in Deutschland, da die Leistungen der vertragsärztlichen Versorgung aller gesetzlich Krankenversicherten (ca. 85 % der Bevölkerung) enthalten sind.Die verschiedenen Systeme zur Erfassung von Labortestungen ergänzen sich gegenseitig. Die Auswertungen fließen in die Maßnahmenempfehlungen zur Pandemiebewältigung ein.

Introduction Users of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) require periodic testing for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and renal function. Before PrEP was made free of charge through statutory health insurance in late 2019, PrEP users in Germany had to pay for testing themselves. Aim We investigated self-reported HIV, STI and renal function testing frequencies among self-funded PrEP users in Germany, factors associated with infrequent testing, and STI diagnoses. Methods A cross-sectional anonymous online survey in 2018 and 2019 recruited current PrEP users via dating apps for men who have sex with men (MSM), a PrEP community website, anonymous testing sites and friends. We used descriptive methods and logistic regression for analysis. Results We recruited 4,848 current PrEP users. Median age was 37 years (interquartile range (IQR): 30–45), 88.7% identified as male, and respectively 26.3%, 20.9% and 29.2% were tested less frequently for HIV, STI and renal function than recommended. Participants with lower STI testing frequency were significantly less likely to report STI diagnoses during PrEP use, especially among those with many partners and inconsistent condom use. Factors most strongly associated with infrequent testing included not getting tested before starting PrEP, using PrEP from informal sources and on-demand/intermittent PrEP use. Discussion In a setting of self-funded PrEP, many users obtained medical tests less frequently than recommended, which can lead to missed diagnoses. Barriers to testing should be addressed to enable proper medical supervision. The suitability of testing frequencies to PrEP users with less frequent risk exposures needs to be evaluated.

Through the formation of concentration gradients, morphogens drive graded responses to extracellular signals, thereby fine-tuning cell behaviors in complex tissues. Here we show that the chemokine CXCL13 forms both soluble and immobilized gradients. Specifically, CXCL13+ follicular reticular cells form a small-world network of guidance structures, with computer simulations and optimization analysis predicting that immobilized gradients created by this network promote B cell trafficking. Consistent with this prediction, imaging analysis show that CXCL13 binds to extracellular matrix components in situ, constraining its diffusion. CXCL13 solubilization requires the protease cathepsin B that cleaves CXCL13 into a stable product. Mice lacking cathepsin B display aberrant follicular architecture, a phenotype associated with effective B cell homing to but not within lymph nodes. Our data thus suggest that reticular cells of the B cell zone generate microenvironments that shape both immobilized and soluble CXCL13 gradients., Morphogens such as chemokines form gradients to direct graded responses and modulate cell behaviors. Here the authors show, using imaging and computer simulation, that the chemokine CXCL13 originated from follicular reticular cells in the lymph nodes forms both soluble and immobilized gradients to regulate B cell recruitment and migration.

Biosurfactants are considered as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-derived and chemically produced surfactants. Their production pathways, physicochemical properties, and applications are widely researched and discussed in literature. In this context, investigating the different impacts from the entire life cycle of biosurfactants is important to understand and mitigate potential environmental hotspots. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an internationally accepted and standardized methodology to analyze the environmental impacts of products from a holistic view. Therefore, this study provides a detailed overview of existing LCA studies of biosurfactants by means of a systematic literature research. The focus specifically lies on articles that investigated microbial biosurfactants. However, the systematic approach used ensured a broader overview related to bio-based surfactants as well. Furthermore, two related topics, ecotoxicity and biodegradability of biosurfactants, were identified and discussed based on the search findings. After screening over 2,500 documents using Scopus and Google Scholar, six relevant LCA articles of biosurfactants could be identified. The identified articles are divided into LCA studies of alkyl polyglycosides, chemically produced bio-based surfactants, and LCA studies of microbial biosurfactants, their content analyzed and discussed in context. In conclusion, the number of available LCA studies is very limited and their results are often not comparable. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this review is the first of its kind to provide a detailed overview of LCA studies of biosurfactants. Consequently, the need for implementing more LCA studies becomes clear.

Biosurfactants are considered as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-derived and chemically produced surfactants. Their production pathways, physicochemical properties, and applications are widely researched and discussed in literature. In this context, investigating the different impacts from the entire life cycle of biosurfactants is important to understand and mitigate potential environmental hotspots. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an internationally accepted and standardized methodology to analyze the environmental impacts of products from a holistic view. Therefore, this study provides a detailed overview of existing LCA studies of biosurfactants by means of a systematic literature research. The focus specifically lies on articles that investigated microbial biosurfactants. However, the systematic approach used ensured a broader overview related to bio-based surfactants as well. Furthermore, two related topics, ecotoxicity and biodegradability of biosurfactants, were identified and discussed based on the search findings. After screening over 2,500 documents using Scopus and Google Scholar, six relevant LCA articles of biosurfactants could be identified. The identified articles are divided into LCA studies of alkyl polyglycosides, chemically produced bio-based surfactants, and LCA studies of microbial biosurfactants, their content analyzed and discussed in context. In conclusion, the number of available LCA studies is very limited and their results are often not comparable. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review is the first of its kind to provide a detailed overview of LCA studies of biosurfactants. Consequently, the need for implementing more LCA studies becomes clear. Graphical Abstract

The original version of the book was inadvertently published without the following corrections. The chapter has now been corrected.

The consumption of construction materials and the pollution caused by their production can be reduced by the use of reliable adaptive load-bearing structures. Adaptive load-bearing structures are able to adapt to different load cases by specifically manipulating internal stresses using actuators installed in the structure. One main aspect of quality is reliability. A verification of reliability, and thus the safety of conventional structures, was a design issue. When it comes to adaptive load-bearing structures, the material savings reduce the stiffness of the structure, whereby integrated actuators with sensors and a control take over the stiffening. This article explains why the conventional design process is not sufficient for adaptive load-bearing structures and proposes a method for demonstrating improved reliability and environmental sustainability. For this purpose, an exemplary adaptive load-bearing structure is introduced. A linear elastic model, simulating tension in the elements of the adaptive load-bearing structure, supports the analysis. By means of a representative local load-spectrum, the operating life is estimated based on Woehler curves given by the Eurocode for the critical notches. Environmental sustainability is increased by including reliability and sustainability in design. For an exemplary high-rise adaptive load-bearing structure, this increase is more than 50%.

Objective Evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in infections with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is still limited as most of the available studies are ecological in nature and individual-level data is sparse. We therefore analysed individual-level data on socioeconomic differences in the prevalence and perceived dangerousness of SARS-CoV-2 infections in local populations. Data were obtained from a population-based seroepidemiological study of adult individuals in two early German SARS-CoV-2 hotspots (n = 3903). Infection was determined by IgG antibody ELISA, RT-PCR testing and self-reports on prior positive PCR tests. The perceived dangerousness of an infection and socioeconomic position (SEP) were assessed by self-reports. Logistic and linear regression were applied to examine associations of multiple SEP measures with infection status and perceptions of dangerousness. Results We found no evidence of socioeconomic inequalities in SARS-CoV-2 infections by education, occupation, income and subjective social status. Participants with lower education and lower subjective social status perceived an infection as more dangerous than their better-off counterparts. In successfully contained local outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany, infections may have been equally distributed across the socioeconomic spectrum. But residents in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups might have experienced a higher level of mental distress due to the higher perceived dangerousness of an infection.

Eine Antwort auf den großen und fortschreitenden Ressourcenverbrauch im Bauwesen können leichte und zugleich adaptive Lösungsansätze für Gebäudehüllen und -strukturen darstellen. Dazu müssen sie sowohl für schadensfreie Bauwerke mit passender Aufenthaltsqualität als auch für eine deutlich höhere Ressourceneffizienz sorgen. Beides gilt für den gesamten Lebensweg und trotz der für die Adaptivität benötigen zusätzlichen Betriebsenergie. Im Rahmen einer vorangegangenen Untersuchung adaptiver Leichtbaukonstruktionen für Fassaden wurde die bauphysikalische Funktionalität und Umweltwirkung einiger Beispiele auf Bauteilebene behandelt. Im hier vorliegenden Beitrag wird nun der Betrachtungshorizont auf die Raumebene erweitert, um z. B. neben Kennwerten für Wärme- und Feuchteschutz der Hülle auch die Behaglichkeit im Raum als Bewertungsmaßstab heranzuziehen. Natürlich erhöhen sich damit der Aufwand und die Komplexität der Bilanz, dafür lässt sich aber fundierter das Anwendungspotenzial adaptiver Alternativen einschätzen und über deren Weiterverfolgung entscheiden. Dazu werden drei herkömmliche, teils massive und teils leichte Konstruktionen, sowie vergleichbare adaptive Fassaden auf Raumebene untersucht und bewertet. Als wesentliche Bewertungskriterien gelten dabei quantitative Aussagen zur Erfüllung bauphysikalischer Anforderungen und zu ökologischen Umweltwirkungen. Im Ergebnis der methodenübergreifenden Forschung zeigt sich, dass adaptive Konstruktionen fallspezifisch, z. B. standortbezogen, beachtliches Potenzial zur Ressourcenreduktion ohne Funktionseinschränkungen mit sich bringen.

The evaluation of environmental aspects in the early planning phase of buildings can support the reduction of the resource use and environmental impacts associated with the building sector over the whole building life-cycle. The integration of life cycle assessment (LCA) benchmarks in the planning phase is one potential measure. To derive these benchmarks a large database of existing building assessment is essential. Potential data input is available from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), as it certifies more than 200 buildings annually and the certification includes a mandatory LCA. In this study, the current submission files and database of the DGNB are assessed and critically reviewed with regard to their usability for automated LCA benchmarks. First, a harmonized database is created from the large number of assessed buildings. Second, the data is examined for its suitability for benchmarking with regard to data format, structure and level of detail. The data that were declared fit for purpose were used to create an exemplary, harmonized data set with 22 office buildings. The evaluation of these data for various environmental indicators of the individual life-cycle phases shows their respective relevance and can thus serve as a benchmark. Another focus is to encourage improvement of the additional documentation like the energy source required for better benchmarking, interpretation of results and auditing of the LCA rules for building certification. The results of this study highlight the opportunities and challenges in the development of a database for benchmarking. Before long-term LCA benchmarks can be developed and deployed, a standardized and uniform submission format of results, that is indifferent regarding the used LCA software, needs to be developed. In the future the submission process should be extended by an automated quality assurance to prevent restraints from low data quality and data gaps that otherwise have to be detected manually.

The building industry is one of the main contributors to worldwide resource consumption and anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, sustainable solutions in construction are particularly urgent. Inspired by the success principles of living nature, biologists and engineers present here an interdisciplinary work: The sustainability assessment of a bio-inspired material technology called graded concrete, which was developed at ILEK. Gradient structural materials can be found in plants on different hierarchical levels, providing a multitude of creative solutions for technology. Graded concrete applies this biological concept of structural optimization to the interior structure of concrete components to minimize material and resource expenditure. To evaluate the sustainability of this innovation, a newly developed quantitative Bio-inspired Sustainability Assessment (BiSA) method is applied. It focuses on the relationship of environmental, social and economic functions and the corresponding burdens quantified basing on life cycle assessment. The BiSA of graded concrete slabs shows significant improvements over conventional concrete for the applied use case. While an overall reduction of environmental burdens by 13% is expected, economic burdens can be reduced by up to 40% and social burdens by 35.7%. The assessment of the graded concrete technology identifies its potential with regard to sustainable construction. The presented work provides a blueprint for the interdisciplinary, integrative work on sustainable, bio-inspired innovations. It shows that the synergies of bio-inspiration and BiSA within technical product development can be fruitful.

Die Erfassung von Daten zu SARS-CoV-2-Testungen in Deutschland sind für die Einschätzung des Infektionsgeschehens im Rahmen der COVID-19-Pandemie von zentraler Bedeutung. Am Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) werden dazu die Daten aus verschiedenen Systemen zur Erfassung von Labortestungen zusammengeführt. In diesem Beitrag werden zunächst bedeutsame Aspekte der Testverfahren erläutert. Nachfolgend werden die unterschiedlichen Systeme zur Erfassung von Labortestungen erläutert und Testzahlen aus der RKI-Testlaborabfrage und der laborbasierten Surveillance SARS-CoV‑2 sowie die Abrechnungsdaten der kassenärztlichen Vereinigungen zu SARS-CoV-2-Labortestungen dargestellt. Mit der RKI-Testlaborabfrage und der laborbasierten Surveillance SARS-CoV‑2 stand früh in der Pandemie eine Surveillance zur Verfügung, mit der unter den teilnehmenden Laboren Daten zu durchgeführten Testungen und Testkapazitäten ausgewertet werden können. Durch die Erfassung von positiven und negativen Testergebnissen sind Aussagen zur Gesamtzahl der durchgeführten Testungen sowie dem Anteil der positiven Testergebnisse möglich. Während die aggregierten Testzahlen bundesweit weitestgehend repräsentativ sind, ist die Repräsentativität auf Bundesland- und Landkreisebene aber nicht immer gegeben. Die Abrechnungsdaten der Kassenärztlichen Vereinigungen können die Labordaten im Nachhinein ergänzen. Sie erlauben eine retrospektive Einschätzung der Gesamtzahl von SARS-CoV-2-Tests in Deutschland, da die Leistungen der vertragsärztlichen Versorgung aller gesetzlich Krankenversicherten (ca. 85 % der Bevölkerung) enthalten sind. Die verschiedenen Systeme zur Erfassung von Labortestungen ergänzen sich gegenseitig. Die Auswertungen fließen in die Maßnahmenempfehlungen zur Pandemiebewältigung ein. The collection of data on SARS-CoV‑2 tests is central to the assessment of the infection rate in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), data collected from various laboratory data recording systems are consolidated. First, this article aims to exemplify significant aspects regarding test procedures. Subsequently the different systems for recording laboratory tests are described and test numbers from the RKI test laboratory query and the laboratory-based SARS-CoV‑2 surveillance as well as accounting data from the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians for SARS-CoV‑2 laboratory tests are shown. Early in the pandemic, the RKI test laboratory query and the laboratory-based SARS-CoV‑2 surveillance became available and able to evaluate data on performed tests and test capacities. By recording the positive and negative test results, statements about the total number of tests and the proportion of positive test rates can be made. While the aggregate test numbers are largely representative nationwide, they are not always representative at the state and district level. The billing data of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians can complement the laboratory data afterwards. In addition, it can provide a retrospective assessment of the total number of SARS-CoV‑2 numbers in Germany, because the services provided by statutory health insurers (around 85% of the population in Germany) are included. The various laboratory data recording systems complement one another and the evaluations flow into the recommended measures for the pandemic response.

BackgroundPersistence of individuals at risk of HIV with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is critical for its impact on the HIV epidemic. We analysed factors associated with stopping PrEP, barriers that may deter people from continuing PrEP and investigated sexual behaviour after stopping PrEP.MethodsCurrent and former PrEP users in Germany were recruited to complete an anonymous online survey on PrEP use and sexual behaviour. Participants were recruited through dating apps, a PrEP community website, anonymous testing sites and peers. The results were analysed using descriptive methods and logistic regression.ResultsWe recruited 4848 current and 609 former PrEP users in two study waves (July–October 2018, April–June 2019). Former PrEP users were more likely 18–29 years old than current users (adjusted OR = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–2.3). Moreover, they were more often unhappy with their sex life, which was more pronounced in former daily PrEP users (aOR = 4.5, 95% CI 2.9–7.1) compared to former on-demand users (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–2.9, pinteraction = 0.005). The most common reason for stopping PrEP was a reduced need for PrEP (49.1%). However, 31.4% of former users identified logistic reasons and 17.5% stopped due to side effects. Former PrEP users using PrEP p = 0.015) and not wanting to take a chemical substance (33.2% vs. 24.0%,p = 0.020) compared to former PrEP users who used PrEP for longer. After stopping PrEP, 18.7% of former PrEP users indicated inconsistent condom use while having ≥4 sex partners within the previous 6 months. Former PrEP users with many partners and inconsistent condom use more often indicated logistic reasons for stopping (46.5% vs. 27.9%,p ConclusionsTo maximise persistence with PrEP we need to develop strategies for younger PrEP users, reduce logistic barriers to access PrEP, and to develop effective communication on side-effect management. Moreover, prevention strategies for people stopping PrEP are required, since some remain at high risk for HIV.

This preface introduces the contributions from young scientists and researchers participating in the 15th Okobilanzwerkstatt in Stuttgart. It provides an overview of the growing relevance of establishing environmental aspects as a guideline in science, industry and politics. This results in an increased need to anchor life cycle assessments in the training of young scientists. Afterwards, the highlights of the Okobilanzwerkstatt 2019 are presented and the topics of the publication in this book are introduced.

Investment decisions by bank customers are increasingly linked to the demand for green investments. Without a meaningful life-cycle costing approach, the danger remains that both bank and customer are exposed to the risk of green washing. The same applies to lending decisions: here, the bank must ultimately assess the business model of the borrower as well as the subject of the loan. Without monetary integration of environmental indicators, the existing rating systems lose their ability to make accurate assessments of creditworthiness. Investment objects like real estate would be assessed with incorrect market values and, accordingly, the lending decision would be based on inadequate data. Based on this, the practice of lending is facing considerable adjustments.

The use of packaging and the related environmental consequences are increasingly under discussion. Despite its advantages, packaging has become the focus of public concern, mainly due to insufficient or inadequate handling of packaging waste. There is plenty of research regarding the sustainability of packaging options; however, multiple quantifiable characteristics have never been combined into a single indicator. The proposed Packaging Index (PIX) offers a tool to evaluate and compare different packaging options for the same product. To achieve these goals, the current evaluation criteria for the PIX are i) packaging quantity, ii) recyclability, and iii) environmental footprint. The resulting assessment is displayed as best to worst case scenario, with a single score for simple comparison. Using life cycle thinking, the environmental footprint of the packaging is accounted from cradle-to-grave. The suggested visualization of the PIX represents a practical comparison of diverse packaging alternatives within a defined product group. In the illustrative example, the PIX serves as an instrument to compare available bags found commonly in German online-retail. This example also shows that the PIX can analyze the packaging value chain from diverse industries and contributes to the circular economy. The usability of the PIX extends from communication (such as customer relations) to other fields like internal supply chain optimization. Lastly, we present the communication strategy of the PIX aimed at two different user groups.