GLOPACK

Description

• Programme: Horizon 2020, Call: H2020-SFS-2017-1
• Funding amount: €6.7 million, of which €629,000 for Bavaria
• Period: 06/2018-05/2021
• Coordinator: Valérie Guillard, Université de Montpellier, France
• Project number: 773375
• Website: www.glopack2020.eu 

From shrink-wrapped cucumbers to double-wrapped sweets – food packaging is a major factor in the life cycle assessment of a product. The EU project GLOPACK has recognised this and is developing innovative solutions to avoid or reuse food waste and packaging waste. The international GLOPACK consortium is pursuing three promising approaches: the researchers are focusing on biodegradable packaging materials, but are also trying to use active packaging in order to optimally preserve food without the use of additives. This is to prevent the food from spoiling quickly and being thrown out. The consortium is also developing an RFID-based IT system designed to detect the expiry date of a product in the packaging. This technology will be used to optimise the logistics chain: foods with an earlier expiration date will be delivered to retailers first and already expired products are picked out immediately. A broad-based pilot scheme will help the packaging industry to get to grips with the selected new technologies, and food manufacturers will receive a software tool for decision-making and benefit calculations provided by the project. Targeted communication strategies and sustainability labels for eco-efficient products should sensitise consumers to intelligent packaging and create confidence in the new technology.