CIRCUL-A-BILITY addresses the technological barriers specific to product categories and supply chains by creating a network with four technical working groups dedicated to harmonisation, and one to communication. This allows to improve decision making processes and coordination of research efforts while providing a holistic approach to the global problem of food packaging.
The most widely used packaging of food and consumer products are plastic materials as a result of their light weight, cost, and material properties (mechanical strength, transparency, permeability, heat sealability). In Europe, about 40% of the plastic produced is used for packaging, and about 40% of this plastic is recycled. To decrease the impact of packaging on the carbon footprint of food products, the industry has initiated a series of measures, which include removal of excessive packaging and packaging weight reduction.
The memorandum of understanding for this Cost Action submitted to the European Union can be found above