FRESH - Fully bio based and bio degradable ready meal packaging

Project Information

FRESH

Grant agreement ID: 720739

DOI

10.3030/720739

Project closed

EC signature date 1 August 2016

Start date 1 February 2017

End date 31 July 2020

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 12 155 500,00

EU contribution

€ 5 636 812,50

Coordinated by

HUHTAMAKI MOLDED FIBER TECHNOLOGY BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - FRESH (FRESH - Fully bio based and bio degradable ready meal packaging)

Reporting period: 2020-02-01 to 2020-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

What is the problem / issue being addressed?
Each year 1.3billion black CPET trays are used in packaging in the UK and despite technically being recyclable, a significant proportion end up in landfill. The reason being “carbon” black plastic is not easy detectable with sorting equipment, because it does not allow light to pass through. Ready meal consumption continues to grow across Europe estimated 6.5billion. The packaging creates vast quantities of waste, many going for landfill.
Media and public awareness have increased. It is estimated 50% of plastic is only used once. Documentaries (Blue Planet) have highlighted the impact of plastic on water, land and animals. The failure to degrade and leave harmful microplastics. Policymakers are now making people accountable and lobby for change, Single-Use Plastic taxation to be enforced by mid-2022. Leading retailers are driving packaging behaviour by implementing plastic reduction strategies with set deadlines
Consumers are now actively supporting seeking sustainable alternatives.
What are the overall objectives?
The consorti of project Fresh wants to deliver a full value chain, demonstrate customer satisfaction for a 100%biobased ready meal tray, made from natural resources, using new technology, delivering the same technical and function properties as CPET trays, open new applications and markets, being lighter and show a radical improvement of CO2.
From the creation of the Fresh concept, the consortium has successfully reduced plastic consumption of up to nearly 200 tonnes over the duration of the project.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Fresh trays have been certified independently, allowing us to successful launch the 1st Home Compostable ready meal tray in May 2019. As period 3 began, COVID-19 hit the UK hard with strict restrictions put in place across the nation leading to challenges for the project to fully execute its plan to complete the final stages. Ready meal choices where reduced, food listings where delayed restricting when and where Fresh could be further executed and validated . Despite these challenges, Fresh maintained its presence on shelf in the UK market, gauging interest across the globe.
Fresh trays achieved the goal for material reduction. Fresh is on track to achieve further weight reduction by altering material formulation and compositions post the project. It needs to deliver functionally and handle challenges in supply chain. We show an improved environmental footprint of 60% over the complete product lifecycle when compared with Black Plastic. Several Biofilms are under review, as markets mature, continued development and testing will allow us to reach our goal post project. As concepts are proven, oxygen and water transmission improvements will develop to meet other application needs.
Fresh has successfully reduced plastic consumption by nearly 200 tonnes over the past 42 months. A further 100 tonnes (approx) could have been achieved if the full Work Pack 4 trial had not been affected by the pandemic. Today the project received over 200 queries from across the globe. 40 countries with over 50 queries asking Fresh to explore new applications using it’s technology.
The pilot line has been scaled to meet projected market demand, supporting commercialisation. An official opening of the by the Lord Mayor led to local publication, the importance of sustainability to our society, environment, and the economy and how Huhtamaki Fresh was creating new job opportunities. Furthermore, Fresh was shortlisted and privileged to win Bio-based Material of the Year for 2020.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

A Home Compostable, 100% bio degradable, bio-based solution for ready meal packaging was achieved. Consumer experience and wider reach through amplified testing and product development has produced a commercially viable alternative to plastic for the market. Fresh trays are as functional as CPET trays and are produced from a fully sustainable feedstock with improved environmental and societal benefits.
Scientific and Socio-economic impact
The project has demonstrated experts from four different skilled businesses, can work together and successes can be achieved with common goals. An optimal pulp recipe enhances the trays performance, consumers feedback has given insight into more associated benefits ie Cooler to touch, rigid and sturdy when removed from the oven. Whilst being mindful of the impact in carbon emissions. The partners from Sweden, Holland, and UK have built technology which can be adapted to support other plastic alternative products, whilst Fresh has an improved LCA of over 50%, when compared with the original objectives.
Markets and impact on industry
A primary goal was to drive new market opportunities for Huhtamaki and Sodra, initial focus on the UK ready meal sector. Through dissemination exposure, the market interest has evolved the Fresh technology, with over 40 countries wanting to explore the product and technology as other packaging solutions in over 50 applications.
Fresh is a viable alternative to fossil based plastics and Foil trays which can be recycled and repurposed. It has also contributed to a reduction in products entering the UK landfills as home composting was a key component of the retail and food packers needs.
The technology centre in Holland has moved to bigger premises, allowing further job creation, wider scope of fiber alternative solutions and machine adaption projects to deliver other applications within Europe. Most recently Fiber Lid solutions as an alternative to single use plastics.
Impact, H&S, Inclusion
All partners within the project are committed to health and safety, and equal opportunities, gender balance and inclusion. Fresh had created 25 jobs (Pre Covid 19) in production and engineering sectors. The local community network has allowed us to build a state of the art pilot line in a high care packaging factory. The consorti collaborated with the local councils on building the prototype (Holland), the opening of the production facility (Northern Ireland) with presentations surrounding the EU grant and biobased industries support (Sweden and England).
Project Fresh contributes to the implementation of the following EU policies.
The Bioeconomy strategy by contributing to the production of Biobased trays into the food packaging sector, whilst remaining within ecological boundaries to maintain sustainability through our growth.
Circular Economy Package including the EU strategy for plastics and waste management from the environment.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Across two partners Fresh addresses 13 out of 17 of these goals in total. Huhtamaki has considered the nature of their operations and their impacts, 11 goals .Södra has chosen to focus on 7, those with the greatest impact on society, and where their contribution is most likely to make a difference.

Fresh logo