ChristyD
Wed, 14/05/2025 – 14:51
The Horizon Europe GRECO project aims to deliver innovative biobased, biodegradable and recyclable food packaging based on novel PLA copolymers, functional coatings, additives and green catalysts.
The project will start next month. It seeks to demonstrate the lifecycle and technical/economic feasibility of greener, safer bioplastics value chains for the food packaging sector. It will be based on a safe and sustainable-by-design strategy.
GRECO will design, demonstrate and scale up food packaging materials that can prevent moisture and aroma loss and increase shelf life. The materials include flexible and rigid applications for cheese, processed meat, fresh meat, berries and nuts.
It will work on end-of-life scenarios, including testing the recyclability of the biobased polymers and materials with mechanical and chemical recycling in both open and closed-loop systems. Innovative recycling technologies will be used on post-consumer plastic packaging approved for food contact and deliver decontaminated recycled-biobased polyesters.
The materials developed will be assessed for aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation in marine, water and soil environments, along with industrial and home composting conditions.
The consortium will also collect and analyse data on consumer needs and their perceptions to find how GRECO products align with consumers’ perceptions and their related values, such as sustainability, usability and accessibility.
The project’s findings will feed into various European action plans and strategies, such as the Plastics Strategy, the Single-Use Plastics Directive, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
