The tides are turning and more action to reduce the environmental footprint of packaging is taken; yet, innovation implementation remains slow. Information regarding environmental and economic performance trade-offs are often intransparent or even unknown. Environmental and economic analysis of alternative delivery formats are application and location specific, hence, issues such as local food waste, transportation efficiency, and local waste treatment infrastructure are key factors in the performance of such materials. This makes it difficult to derive widely applicable sustainable delivery formats.

​

Following the creation of the Packaging Baseline, we started the "Innovation Potential" project in September 2020. The baseline forms the basis of this project: a data-driven innovation project to develop a systematic process for packaging innovations. Through detailed analysis of the database, we will target and prioritize product categories with the highest optimization potential to develop a systematic process for packaging innovations. We will carry out innovation challenges with workshops representing stakeholders from the value chain. We will use the identified product categories as case studies to unravel challenges and needs for successful implementation of sustainable delivery formats. Furthermore, the project will provide industry transparency and increase consumer awareness for environmental issues, while promoting the development of sustainable delivery formats. 

​

Towards the end of this project, it became clear that solutions must be implemented and iterated, leading us to the next project: Test to Reduce. 

​

If you’d like to find out more about this project, please contact Julia Bachmann or Catharina Bening.