(West) Flemish SMEs showcase sustainable packaging.

In the transition to a sustainable and healthy lifestyle, the (West) Flemish food sector is increasingly focusing on sustainable packaging. Europe aims to make all packaging 100% reusable or recyclable by 2030.                                                                      Due to the recent COVID-19 crisis (more home meal deliveries) and Brexit (longer transit times due to customs procedures), the need for new packaging and longer-lasting food items has increased.

(West) Flemish food and packaging sector, mostly consisting of SMEs, are forced to adopt sustainable packaging concepts, but often lack the necessary in-house capabilities. This project aims to guide companies in the transition to sustainable packaging by investing in pilot infrastructure needed to conduct tests for material characterization and research the impact of using innovative packaging on food items. This infrastructure should enable testing new, more sustainable packaging concepts on a larger scale, allowing for thorough validation of their safety and shelf life.