Smart packaging, at the core of the Dibbiopack European Project
The European Dibbiopack project is an initiative financed by the European Commission within the Seventh European Framework Agreement, and has involved 19 partners from 10 countries. It has primarily aimed at the development of multifunctional smart-packaging from biopolymers.
This Project, with a total budget of 7.8 million euros - 5.7 coming from the European Commission- could be regarded as a huge breakthrough in the packaging sector, as packaging stops being a mere support for content and moves on to adopt an active role, with functionalities that allow a better preservation of products while informing consumers on content condition. Sustainability has been a central concern all over the Project to rise to this challenge. The research conducted and the development of prototypes strove to provide solutions applicable to the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors, -the top three and heaviest users of packaging, - by means of bioplastics (bio-based, compostable and biodegradable.) This way, not only inroads have been made into a sector with huge industrial, environmental and social opportunities, but also great strides into the necessary reduction in production and use of petroleum-based packaging. Likewise, other sectors, such as waste management and disposal, might benefit from it, too.
Dibbiopack has brought together entities and industries from all over Europe that have delved into the formulation and manufacturing of Smart packaging and materials (bottles for pharmaceutical use, cosmetics and food trays.)
Their objective has been to go beyond the regulatory, technological, market and environmental milestones in the bioplastics sector while providing solutions by means of:
- Nanomaterials. These provide the bioplastic packaging with durability and mechanical properties similar to those found in conventional plastics. These nanofibers do not come into contact with the products (cosmetic creams or food) as, in order to keep packaging and content apart, biodegradable labels are used. Likewise, these labels incorporate antimicrobial agents that are released in the event of humidity. Thus bacteria emergence is checked.
- Biodegradable films with enhanced barrier properties, thanks to a three-coating solution combining biodegradable organic-coating materials with other plasma-applied inorganic ones.
- Sensors changing their colour according to the amount of oxygen present within the packaging. Thus, any valuable information on content condition is readily available with no actual content contact thanks to a RFID antenna integrated in a mobile phone or Tablet, leading to higher convenience for traceability and access to information records.
Public presentation of results and findings on February 24
The Final conference on the Dibbiopack Project will be held in Zaragoza, Spain in February 2016. Based in Zaragoza, Aitiip Technological Centre has coordinated this initiative over the last 4 years. The project partners will go over all technical details linked to planning, implementation and results. There will also be a visit to pilot lines where two out of the three demonstrators were built.
Dibbioppack is a project that brings numerous advantages to a wide range and diversity of sectors and stakeholders. Therefore, the presentation of results and findings will take place in a public event open to all audiences at the CaixaForum Congress Centre in Zaragoza, on February 24.
To see the agenda of the event and to sign in, please go to http://www.aitiip.com/dibbiopack/dibbio_es.html.
