Austrian Packaging Day 2022 at the MAK in Vienna

Working together for sustainable packaging - cooperation and transparency in the exchange of information between all companies involved in the supply chain was the main topic at the fourth Austrian Packaging Day.

Welcome to the Austrian Packaging Day 2022 by: Wilhelm Behensky, Chairman of the Executive Board, and Head of Packaging and Resource Management Silvia Apprich.
© FH Campus Wien
15.11.2022
Source:  Company news

The Department of Packaging and Resource Management at the FH Campus Wien invited industry partners to the MAK in Vienna on October 13 for expert presentations and a panel discussion with the focus: Innovative, networked and transparent along the supply chain. "It is important to us to drive development and contribute scientific findings for targeted solutions and perspectives," says Silvia Apprich, Head of the Packaging and Resource Management Department at FH Campus Wien. "Networking of all actors* along the value chain, for example to exchange packaging data, is the order of the day."

Packaging is becoming more transparent
To ensure a circular economy in line with the EU's Green Deal, a new quality and global system of data is needed. Because only with a sound database along the value chain can recyclability and carbon footprint be calculated. At the center of a circular economy is therefore the digital product passport, which can be used to pass on information about the product; for example, about the product history, certificates, carbon footprint, recycled content or recycling information. The big challenge remains to obtain the packaging data from the companies.

General abandonment of plastics does not make sense
The Austrian Plastics Study 2022, prepared in cooperation by the FH Campus Wien and Circular Analytics TK GmbH, provides information on sorting and recycling rates in the plastics sector in Austria. On the one hand, it examined data quality and gaps in the area of plastic packaging (hollow bodies and flexible packaging) and analyzed substitution possibilities on the other hand. The study shows that a general abandonment of plastic for many applications does not make sense, as it also has clear advantages over other materials. However, it would be important to keep plastics consistently in the cycle.

Uniform definitions and standards are needed
Repeatedly addressed: The term recyclability is currently not clearly defined. However, since recyclability is considered a prerequisite for ecomodulation, i.e. a modification of fees based on measurable product properties, a binding definition is expected from the EU. The EU's specifications are also needed for standardization of the data structure and calculation methods, otherwise the industry will have to develop these itself. Another demand is for a uniform labeling system for consumers: So that they also know - similar to the Nutri-Score - how sustainable or recyclable the packaging they buy is.

Scientifically based recommendations should support the packaging industry in meeting requirements with innovative packaging, such as the recycling quotas of the EU Green Deal. AM Verpackungstag hot off the press: The fifth edition of the Circular Packaging Design Guidelines - published by the FH Campus Wien in cooperation with Circular Analytics TK GmbH and Packforce Austria - provides assistance. Technical expertise from the Packaging and Resource Management Department is also incorporated into the ECR Circular Packaging Initiative guidelines, currently in the ECR recommendations for packaging master data.

Following the Austrian Packaging Day, the industry celebrated young talents at the Pro Carton - PROPAK Austria Young Designers Awards and the winners of the State Prize Smart Packaging 2022, which is awarded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy and the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.

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