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Today, plastic packaging streams from the products we buy at retail become our plastic and/or paper and cardboard waste. Plastic waste is often difficult and expensive to recycle, and much waste could be eliminated if packaging, waste management and infrastructure were thought through from the start. New EU legislation is about to be implemented to tighten up on the food packaging.
EU financing under Interreg VI-A of South Baltic programme 2021-2027 goes to a three-year cross-border cooperation project Retail ReLooped. The aim of the project is to develop new, more resource – efficient solutions for food packaging in the retail trade. The acronym of the project is RELOOPED. BOFA from Denmark leads partners from Poland - the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery – Polish Academy of Sciences, Lithuania - Klaipeda University and Sweden – Sustainable Business Hub. Food retail chains from Denmark and Poland are supported by Coop Denmark A/S and Żabka Polska Sp. Zo.o. Both retailers are associate partners of the ReLooped project. In addition, it is particularly the close collaboration with the retail trade makes this project unique. Coop with a potential of more than 1,000 stores and Żabka with more than 9,000 stores are closely linked to the project. Bornholm will be a central location in the project, where the solutions will have to be tested.
The overall project objective is to increase the waste plastics circularity in retail chains supported by codesign methodology for better reduction, reuse and recycling of packaging in the South Baltic area. Retail ReLooped rethinks packaging systems for the food retail industry, promoting the transition to a more resource-efficient economy. The project addresses the lack of recycling and excessive generation of waste from packaging of food, drinks and grocery shopping. Through the setting up of living labs in two largest regional retail chains, new systems, practices and green business models will be explored to enable a circular economy that reduces, recycles and reuses packaging materials.
The project’s activities are grouped in three content-related work packages. First one is dedicated to development of circular packaging concepts and new sustainable business models. This includes research, interviews, study trips, preparation of “future of packaging” exhibition and living labs, completed with report and roadmap on codesigning circular packaging retail systems. Second strand of actions focuses on codesigning and testing circular packaging solutions in green living labs. There will be 2 design sprints (2 prototypes) conducted where the design team will gather with the project, retailers and consumer representatives to discuss and develop design concepts to be tested as pilot solutions in the living labs (retail chains in Poland and Denmark).
The project target groups:
- Managers of innovation, circularity and green business development at retail chains.
- Representatives of public organizations and municipalities responsible for waste, recycling and sustainability initiatives.
- Consumers including sustainable pioneers, influencers, lead users.
Project name: Retail ReLooped.
Project duration: 1st September, 2023 – 1st September, 2026.
Total project budget is 2 102 175,00 EUR (ERDF co-financing 1 681 740,00 EUR).
Project No. STHB.02.03-IP.01-0008/23.
The project is co-financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the 2021-2027 Interreg VI-A South Baltic cross-border cooperation programme. More information about the programme: www.southbaltic.eu
