PLASTIC PACKAGING BETWEEN IMPACT AND INNOVATION: STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

Loredana INCARNATO | Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fisciano (SA)

In the evolving landscape of global food systems, packaging plays a pivotal role in addressing the key challenges of sustainable food consumption, as it ensures food quality and safety while minimizing losses throughout the whole supply chain. When properly designed and tailored to specific food preservation needs, packaging can significantly extend the shelf life and reduce food waste. At the same time, next generation packaging must tackle the urgent issue of environmental sustainability. This is increasingly critical in light of recent legislative developments, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which sets ambitious targets for recyclability, reuse, and overall waste reduction across the European Union. Achieving these objectives requires a shift in mindset—one that views food and packaging as a single, integrated system whose sustainability must be optimized holistically. This presentation explores how packaging can be a key enabler of sustainable food systems by simultaneously reducing food losses and the environmental burden associated with packaging production and disposal. Central to this is the adoption of eco-design strategies, which include: reducing material thickness and weight, developing mono-material structures to enhance recyclability, incorporating renewable, biodegradable or compostable materials, using recycled polymers with validated safety, converting plastics to paper-based alternatives, and valorizing agro-industrial by-products as raw materials or functional additives. However, sustainability alone is not sufficient, as packaging must also maintain satisfactory functional performance. Emerging technologies such as high-barrier coatings, surface plasma treatments, nanocomposite structures, and smart packaging solutions are being developed to achieve multifunctional packaging that offer tailored barrier, mechanical and sealing performance, while still aligning with sustainability goals. Several case studies will be presented to illustrate how such innovations can lead to packaging systems that are both high-performing and environmentally responsible. In this scenario, safety remains a fundamental requirement. Although the use of recycled and bio-based materials is expanding, ensuring their suitability for food contact is essential. The potential presence of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) or other contaminants will be discussed, requiring careful monitoring and compliance with food safety regulations. Finally, the presentation will underline the importance of early-stage guidance tools for packaging developers and users to facilitate material selection and accelerate innovation. In this context, conducting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) emerges as a scientifically grounded framework for comparing alternative solutions and quantifying their impacts across multiple environmental categories, thereby supporting informed, responsible, and strategic decision-making.