The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has announced its support for the COPPA project, led by the German plastics research centre SKZ, aimed at promoting the safe use of recycled plastics in food packaging. Digitalisation and the implementation of transparent product tracking systems are essential for ensuring the quality and safety of the materials used.
The COPPA project is intended to develop a digital platform that tracks packaging materials through the various stages along the supply chain, addressing the current challenge of unclear origins for recycled materials. Although around two-thirds of food packaging is recycled, only 9% is made from secondary plastics, highlighting the urgent need for change.
“The goal is to ensure that secondary materials can be reused safely and that the CO2 footprint is automatically displayed,” said Sophia Botsch, a researcher at SKZ. The project is part of a broader network, the RePack-Netzwerk, which brings together twelve initiatives aimed at developing innovations in packaging for the food industry.
This initiative represents an important step towards greater sustainability in the sector, promoting a genuine circular economy through multiple synergies between the various projects.
