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Blog – Research

The Future of Packaging – Trends, Opportunities and Alternatives

Start 9 Research 9 Future packaging
If you package goods, you can’t avoid sustainable packaging. 70% of consumers pay attention to this and may leave products lying around.¹ Producers of fruit and vegetables are also feeling the effects of this.
Therefore, our institute director Prof. B. Sadlowsky will speak on February 3, 2020 on the topic:

“Future packaging – trends, opportunities and alternatives”.

What opportunities do Reduce, Reuse and Recycle offer?

In German supermarkets, fresh produce is mostly pre-packaged.² Since packaging protects contents, makes them more durable, facilitates transport and provides information, it is indispensable. But how can this be reconciled with consumers’ growing environmental awareness? How can producers respond to this while ensuring food or product safety?

Packaging research provides the answers. It examines the three major packaging trends: reduce, reuse, recycle. Gardeners and farmers can find out more about this at the Hamburg Chamber of Agriculture on Feb. 3, 2020.

In his lecture “Packaging in horticulture – what will it look like in the future?”, Prof. B. Sadlowsky will present studies by the BFSV Packaging Institute on this day. These have shown, for example, that individual packaging materials can be reduced by up to 75%. That pays off!

Nachhaltige Verpackung von Weintrauben
Since it is commonly assumed that multiple use is more sustainable, the presentation also includes in-house comparative studies on single-use and reusable transport packaging. They provide insights that make one think. Is recycling the solution? In this regard, it is worth taking a critical look at plant pots made from recycled plastic and compostable biopolymers.

What other options are there? Various alternatives are now in circulation, especially for food and horticulture. One trend: “Replace.” Prof. B. Sadlowsky will show where and how plastic-based packaging can be replaced by waste products made from natural materials.

The audience can be curious. Anyone interested in sustainable packaging is in the right place for this event. Registrations are still being accepted by the Hamburg Chamber of Agriculture until January 30, 2020, and the participation fee is 15 euros.

For more info, check out the LK program 2019/2020.

Photo credits:
https://de.freepik.com/fotos-kostenlos/verschiedene-reife-trauben-lagen-flach-auf-einem-weiss_10183612.htm
www.nabu.de/umwelt-und-ressourcen/ressourcenschonung/einzelhandel-und-umwelt/nachhaltigkeit/20787.html

Text sources:
1: Results of a representative survey conducted by DVI in 2019, see: www.k-zeitung.de/verbraucher-wollen-nachhaltige-verpackungen/
2: Article by Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg: Plastic flood in fruit and vegetables (as of 14.05.2019).