A European Union regulation on packaging and packaging waste is set to enter into force in the near future. The regulation is under discussion for adoption into the EEA Agreement.
It is clear that the regulatory framework will have considerable impact on various companies and places increased demands on the design, composition, and volume of packaging. This entails restrictions on the packaging that may be placed on the market in the European Economic Area.
Sigurður Helgi Birgisson at the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise is the industry liaison and conveys comments on its behalf. Companies must, among other things, consider restrictions on single-use plastics, minimal packaging design, and restrictions on the use of harmful substances in packaging.
On this occasion, Matís ohf wishes to draw attention to the findings of the project Challenges in packing vegetables as these have been published in a report on the Matís website.
The project was developed in collaboration with vegetable farmers, but the findings should be of fairly general use to the food industry. Various types of plastic and other packaging materials are discussed, as well as environmental impact, shelf life, and storage conditions.
Various future solutions for sustainable packaging are on the horizon, with considerable development work under way in this field both in Iceland and abroad. Notable examples include the development of packaging from plant and seaweed structural material. It is therefore worth keeping a close eye on innovations as they emerge.