Sustainable packaging
Sustainable packaging optimises the use of recycled and renewable materials to minimise its ecological footprint and environmental impact. It has to be beneficial and safe for consumers, maximise efficiency, minimise waste generation, and meet market criteria for both performance and cost.
SPECIFIC R&I BREAKTHROUGH TOPICS
New materials: Besides polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene, chitosan and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are being used as polymers to substitute conventional biodegradable plastics for the packaging industry. The so-called intelligent packaging (consisting of materials that monitor food conditions and/or the surrounding environment where food packages are stored) is also gaining relevance in the packaging scenario.
Biodegradable materials: There are fully recyclable plant-based materials available from food side-streams, like sugar cane, maize, corn, mushroom roots, seaweed agar, potato starch, cellulose pulp, palm leaf, and beeswax. In addition, some original innovations are organic packages made from agro-industrial by-products that are re-usable (eg compostable food packages containing seeds to be planted) or even edible (eg packages made of nuts, dried fruits and seeds).
New recycling methods: Some innovations in the field of polymer recycling are solvent extraction, the conversion of plastic into fuel (using mixed polymer waste that is otherwise difficult to recycle) and depolymerisation, where the polymer is broken down into raw materials or useful chemical intermediates. Anaerobic digestion is an innovative form of recycling that decomposes organic material and turns it into energy.
Reduced packaging: Several steps are being made to minimise packaging volume and weight, including product/packaging ratio, removing unnecessary components or layers (eg turning plastic pasta/baked goods bags into recycled paper ones), but without sacrificing product safety. Some of the most innovative packaging solutions are the disappearing ones, designed in a way so that products do not need packaging at all, or the box in which they are contained can be water-soluble.
New models in the food system: Design thinking is now emerging in the packaging field to elaborate innovative food packaging systems that minimise resource use while being in harmony with shelf life and distribution conditions, as well as consumer food purchase and consumption behaviour.
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