Biobased packaging products can be biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. 12 EU-funded projects demonstrate how at a recent conference organized by European Bioplastics.
In the past few years, several projects funded by the Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative, such as BIOnTop, Usable Packaging, CelluWiz, MANDALA have developed novel alternative solutions to eco-design packaging products to avoid the incineration and landfill routes at their end-of-life phase, rerouting them instead towards approved and accepted applications, where they can add value without adding an environmental burden. These four projects and other eight EU-funded projects joined forces on 11 May 2023 for a joint conference organised by European Bioplastics, ENCO and AIMPLAS to present their latest results and exchange with their peers on future applications of bioplastics and biobased materials. The conference also saw several successful contributions of other EU-funded projects such as PRESERVE, SEALIVE, GLAUKOS, Polybioskin, REPuropose, RECOVER, ECOFUNCO and NENU2PHAR. Back in 2018, the consortia of BIOnTop, CelluWiz, MANDALA and USABLE PACKAGING responded to a call of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU)/European Commission related to the development of biobased packaging products that are biodegradable/ compostable and/or recyclable. The specific challenge of these twin projects was to make the end-of-life phase for packaging significantly more sustainable.
Over the past ye