Packaging

Local shop tackles 'food print' in its own style Sustainable shop sells local produce, unpacked, and mostly organic Customers buy what they need with no extra packaging, all part of the shop's prize-winning zero-waste policy Effecorta, a small shop in the town of Capannori, Italy is a classic...

Self-assessment can help you review the company's waste-management practices. Through no- or low-cost measures, you can identify where waste is arising at each stage of a process and take steps to reduce it. This will boost your environmental performance, reduce your carbon footprint and help to...

Packaging is a major part of the food and drinks sector. As awareness grows of the need to minimise the environmental impact of packaging throughout the product life-cycle, innovative companies are looking to ecodesign principles for improvements. One area of improvement is to reduce packaging...

Companies are trying to use more sustainable processes and resources to match growing environmental and social awareness. Changing processes and resources incur some costs for the companies, but can lead to profit if properly managed. For these costs to turn into profits, the sustainability of the...

In Bruges ... Reduced plastics use 20 % less waste over five-year period Hotel Fevery is a small family-run hotel located in the medieval city of Bruges which became the first fully Belgian hotel to apply for and obtain an EU Ecolabel certification. In order to meet all of the Ecolabel criteria...

Sustainable packaging may include packaging made from recycled (e.g. paper, plastic) or bio-based materials, reusable packaging, take-back schemes, etc. In order to save resources in line with circular economy and environmental principles, sustainable packaging issues should be integrated into...

Biopolymer, the 'whey' forward Innovative EU project develops whey protein-based polymer New 'green' product performs as well as traditional plastics but can be easily recycled An EU-funded initiative created innovative biopolymers from cheese byproducts as a green packaging solution. This promising...

Greening the paper trail A company providing paper, visual communication and packaging decided to improve its CSR strategy It developed an eco-analysis tool to communicate the benefits of recycled paper to customers Antalis is a professional paper distributor and provider of packaging and visual...

Packaging inspired by sea urchins Company sets up a business model to create packaging out of plastic marine debris Pioneering recycling process for plastic marine debris is developed Method, a cleaning products company, launched a new packaging line made from a blend of plastic recovered from the...

Green labelling, also known as 'Ecolabelling', is a recognised scheme for businesses to communicate the environmental credentials of products they put on the market. The Ecolabel stimulates the market for green products and services, and promotes broader awareness of environmental issues. Green...

Clever 'post-mix' cleaners Company rethought its domestic cleaning products to reduce waste and costs They changed the composition and packaging of the product Replenish, a company producing domestic cleaning products, wanted to rethink its products to better meet consumers’ needs. The firm observed...

Life cycle map points the way forward An audit, as part of an EU-funded project, reveals where packaging can be rationalised at paint company Life cycle map highlights shipping and distribution improvements, saving money and emissions Choosing to minimise the amount of packaging and the material...