Food and beverage manufacturers in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are encouraged to seek free advice on the latest developments in sustainable packaging ahead of new regulations expected to come into effect in two years’ time.
The UK packaging EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) reform is expected to be rolled out in 2023, along with a plastic packaging tax – and Food Innovation Center experts say now is the time to look into the sustainable packaging options available.
The Food Innovation Center at the University of Nottingham has created a fact sheet on this subject to help food and beverage manufacturers in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire choose the sustainable packaging that best suits their products.
“The packaging offers many essential functions such as protection, containment, storage, information and branding,” explained Dr. Daniele D’Agostino, research assistant at the Food Innovation Center.
“It’s an integral part of modern retail. Without packaging, the choice of goods could be reduced, as well as quality, freshness, shelf life and convenience.
“However, the total volume of packaging in the UK economy has grown tremendously and is a significant part of the household waste stream. Consumers have become aware of the problems related to waste, single-use packaging and plastic pollution and are demanding more sustainable solutions. Packaging manufacturers and retailers are therefore faced with the challenge of maintaining and improving packaging functionality while reducing volume, increasing the amount of reused or reconditioned products and developing more sustainable products. “
Daniele and the Food Innovation Center team have worked with a number of SMEs in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to provide advice on adopting sustainable packaging, most recently a tea company and a food mail order company.
“Consumers are demanding a reduction in packaging and more sustainable options, so it makes economic sense to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and act ethically,” said Daniele.
“If you are looking at the sustainable options now available and you know that you want to move to a more sustainable choice in the future, you can add additional costs to your business plan.”
The fact sheet produced by the Food Innovation Center outlines the pros and cons of some of the major packaging materials used in the food and beverage industry, such as glass, metal, paper and cardboard, plastic, composite, and bioplastic.
Experts from the center can explain the options available and their suitability for different foods and drinks. They offer eligible SMEs as part of the Driving Research and Innovation project – a three-year project that runs until the end of December 2022 – free, tailored advice and support for sustainable packaging at LEP, the project is sponsored by the Food Innovation Center of the School of Biosciences of the University of Nottingham in collaboration with the School of Chemistry’s Chemistry Innovation Laboratory and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, and in collaboration with Midlands Engine. It is a unique collaborative project that offers small and medium-sized businesses free support for specialized innovations.
Our job is to provide SMEs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire with a range of expertise to help them grow and develop. Sustainable packaging is at the top of the environmental agenda and we are delighted that Daniele D’Agostino, an expert in sustainable packaging, is part of our team that offers help to local food and beverage manufacturers.
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