Special Show Sustainable Packaging

The societies of the European Union are on track to become a "Circular Economy". The transformation away from an economy based on a linear understanding in handling resources over to a circular economy will change all industries. In accordance with the European Green Deal, the resources available to us are to be kept in the cycle as long as possible.

A particular focus is being placed on packaging materials in this connection, because they can have a huge impact on the environment. They belong to the commodities for which the most primary resources are implemented. Furthermore, if disposed of incorrectly packaging causes different environmental problems, such as littering for instance.

For this reason, a number of disposable items made of plastic were banned in the EU in mid-2021. The industry and consumers should prepare themselves for further measures.

The EU's PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), which has been announced and is currently being finalised, will also have a major impact on the design of packaging in the future. The sustainability reporting obligations will provide further insights into the activities of companies.

For the Special Show Sustainable Packaging - partners from the fields of research (Sustainable Packaging Institute SPI) and brand strategy for packaging design and sustainability (pacoon Sustainability Concepts) will present developments and examples of implementation that can provide answers to the challenges of the future. The topic will be underpinned by the current DLG-Insights Sustainable Packaging 2024 study: Consumers, Labelling, Strategies for Food & Beverage.

The Sustainable Packing Institute (SPI) is a specialised institute of the University of Albstadt-Sigmaringen, which specialises in sustainable packaging systems. It has set itself the mission of providing competent and holistic support to all players of the packaging sector across the entire value chain on their way towards a more sustainable, circular bioeconomy. Here the SPI concentrates on the six theme areas: Biogienic raw materials, process technology and process design, functional materials, smart packaging (alternative and intelligent packaging), preservation and packaging as well as bioeconomy and sustainability.

The SPI's main aim is to protect packaged goods, because for instance more resources are implemented in food than in the packaging itself and these resources have to be saved. An adequate food protection is not only ethical and ecologically sensible here, it is also economically advantageous and ultimately leads to the reduction of food waste.

There is currently the need for more intensive research and development into packaging with optimal functionality and its recyclability. SPI is working on this in its in-house physical/chemical laboratory and technical centre that are fitted with modern equipment, always in compliance with the food regulations and economic competitiveness. The goals are to be achieved through national and international projects in cooperation with different partners (industry partners as well as other research institutes). The achievements within the current as well as completed projects will be interactively presented at the Sustainable Packaging Special Show.

pacoon Sustainability Concepts (PSC) uses a structured decision tree to illustrate the breadth and complexity of a packaging concept. This provides an extract of the relevant decision levels that need to be taken into account when choosing the right packaging. As experienced experts in sustainable packaging solutions, pacoon takes these aspects into account when developing new approaches and concept ideas.

Examples of different fibre packaging and barrier options show ways of using this packaging material, which is currently in demand and is forward-looking in many respects. We have many samples of fibre-based packaging to show and touch at the special area.

The agency will also be presenting PSC's new reusable concept at Anuga Foodtec and explaining how it can find its way onto shelves and into return and cleaning logistics. The agency has also developed a market test model that can be made available to branded companies for their own tests at short notice.

Staying within the context of sustainability, you will also receive our instructions on how you can easily and step-by-step arrive at a sustainability report (CSRD) and how a new web tool can support you quickly and easily with the company, stakeholder and materiality analysis through to sustainability target setting and strategy and ultimately the report in accordance with 14 different international standards. So that the 'bureaucratic spectre' becomes an easy-to-use optimisation model.