Plastic is widely used because it is durable, useful, and abundant. We are oblivious to it since it is so ingrained in our daily activities. The majority of it—from the plastic-wrapped vegetables in supermarkets to the containers for creams, lotions, pills, and medications—is used just once before being thrown away in landfills or worse.

For instance, the European Union (EU) introduced the European Green Deal in 2019 as part of global efforts to combat climate change. This initiative aims to shift the economy from a linear one to a circular one that eliminates waste and pollution. The plastics tax imposed on single-use plastic, plastic packaging, and microplastics is an important step in combating plastic pollution.

However, the EU has imposed a national contribution from each of the 27 member states depending on the quantity of non-recycled plastic packaging trash it produces, as opposed to a local tax. States have very different tax structures; some concentrate on packaging in general while others solely tax single-use items. For plastic goods made in the United States or elsewhere, some countries have varying taxes. In other words, member states are free to impose the tax in their own manner and under their own set of laws.

The end consequence is a very dispersed landscape. It calls for the appropriate approach, resources, and knowledge, particularly in the areas of compliance and global supply chains. For instance, Spain's Special Tax on Non-Reusable Plastic Containers went into force on January 1 and imposes a fee of €0.45 per kilogram of Non-Reusable Plastic.

A Workable Solution 

Technology has become a crucial component in aiding businesses in finding solutions to their problems, as has been the case with many difficulties in recent years. A cloud-based tool called SAP Responsible Design and Production was developed expressly to make it easier to design items for a circular economy and to aid with the entire process associated with the new levies.

SAP Responsible Design and Production gives businesses access to data on logistics and materials, including specifics on the composition of packaging, in addition to striving to automate tedious reporting processes. According to Monasor, "with this tool, businesses will be able to calculate and submit reports in relation to the Spanish plastics tax and lower the risks of non-compliance."

The Goal

Over time, SAP Responsible Design and Production may help organizations improve their capacity for measuring and managing sustainability KPIs as well as their ability to see material flows more clearly across all business processes. Improved traceability reduces compliance risks and aids in improving the accuracy of plastic tax payments. In order to lower these taxes and increase circularity, which is the tax's main objective, the answer can also reform laws and taxes, as well as optimize the materials used in packaging.

Source: https://news.sap.com/2023/01/sap-responsible-design-and-production-manage-plastic-taxes/

Businesses need a way to innovate more quickly with less resources as consumer demands and operational requirements rise and talent resources continue to be insufficient. SAP Build at SAP TechEd is a low-code tool that anybody can use to quickly build and enhance enterprise applications, automate procedures, and create professional websites with drag-and-drop ease.

By reducing processing times, enhancing service quality, and minimizing manual errors, the SAP Build Process Automation solution enhances the processes that are currently in place and interacts seamlessly with SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

Automation Starter Pack for SAP and RISE

The RISE with SAP for S/4HANA Cloud, public version comes with the beginning pack of SAP Build Process Automation at no extra cost. This deal is meant to get businesses started on the road to automation and to foster productive communication between process experts and IT staff. The starter kit contains:

• Two knowledgeable users who can design procedures and automate processes
• Twenty regular users that can start workflows and take part in those that the advanced user creates
• Unattended automation that can be started without a person's help

How SAP Build Process Automation Benefits Customers Using SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Customers using SAP S/4HANA Cloud are able to cut expenses, get rid of manual errors, boost customer happiness, use KPI process dashboards to make crucial decisions, and optimize processes even in the absence of APIs.

Source: https://news.sap.com/2023/01/new-automation-starter-pack-sap-s4hana-cloud-public-edition/

Together, SAP and Amazon Web Services (AWS), the most complete and widely used cloud platform in the world, are accelerating digital transformation to better serve their clients.

By combining the technology, solutions, and flexibility that customers require to support them in succeeding in the digital economy, this collaboration builds on the success of the long-standing SAP and AWS partnership. With thousands of consumers, the companies have been in a strategic alliance for almost ten years.

With the help of this technology-driven project and combined investment, two strong engineering companies will be brought together to spur innovation and support clients' transitions to sustainable, intelligent businesses. In reality, SAP has advanced its sustainability goal to 2030 and is a signatory to Amazon's Climate Pledge, which commits to net-zero carbon emissions.

The companies have made it a priority to offer the value of RISE with SAP on AWS as we go into the new year by giving customers the tools to hasten their adoption of the cloud along with a top-notch selection of innovation and extensibility options. The following is a list of the partnership's future steps:

• To handle complicated customer requirements, a joint reference architecture is used.
• Demand generation campaigns, conferences, SAP marquis events, and other multichannel marketing strategy initiatives
• A single framework for international sales actions that will allow the teams to collaborate with systems integrator partners
• There are devoted individuals working on the SAP/AWS go-to-market throughout the world

The utilization of the internationally accessible SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) on AWS serves as an illustration of the capabilities of this cooperation. Together, the firms have created a reference architecture that supports more complex use cases and exemplifies the benefits of federated SAP and AWS services. Customers will receive advice on how to best combine SAP and AWS to achieve digital transformation from the joint reference architecture. To encourage innovation and increase its warehouse capabilities, Ally Logistic Property (ALP), Taiwan's leading institutional property developer, integrated SAP BTP along with a number of AWS services.

AWS and SAP enter 2023 more prepared than ever to assist customers in adopting cloud solutions that enable them to innovate more quickly and take advantage of the digital disruptions occurring in their industries. This is thanks to a partnership that is focused on transformation, innovation, and delivering for our customers.

Source: SAP and AWS Accelerate Digital Transformation | SAP News