In Finland, LUT University and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland are developing new environmentally friendly packaging solutions with 34 industrial partners. In the Films for Future (F3) research project, a cellulose-based alternative will replace the plastic films of cardboard packages. The program is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Packages with bio-based and bio-degradable films will make recycling easier, because they can be put straight into the cardboard recycling pile. Recyclability will also minimize the amount of waste and tackle littering.
The new film material will also meet the demands of the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which deals with the shift to a circular economy and improving the quality of the environment.