GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Proposals under this topic should:

• Upscale production technologies and deploy the complete value chain to bio-based packaging materials with improved functional properties, meeting market and sustainability/circularity/environmental performance requirements. Applications and the related requirements should be clearly identified and addressed.
• More specifically, focus on improvement of surface and/or barrier properties, enabling circularity and improved environmental performance while also meeting technical performance requirements. Innovation can focus on one, more or all components (e.g. substrate/polymer, coatings, films, additives) of the bio-based packaging product, provided that technical, circularity and environmental requirements are met by the product as a whole.
• Address and demonstrate at relevant scale the sustainable end-of-life of the developed products, in particular compatibility with the existing recycling streams and/or, based on standards, their compostability or biodegradability, depending on the application sought. Reuse and remanufacturing are also in scope when compatible with the application and common practices.
• Verify the regulatory status of the new product and its safety for the intended use (especially important in food packaging) and for the environment.
• Depending on the biomass feedstock in scope, apply existing certification schemes.
• Consider end-users perception, behaviour and preferences for product design (especially important in food and consumer goods packaging, but also relevant in industrial packaging) but also in terms of disposal at end-of-life (e.g. avoiding littering, enabling easy sorting and high-target recycling with the correct stream).
• Employ low-emission and energy efficient process and ensure improved sustainability profiles for the products in scope compared to existing bio-based solutions.