Ali Harlin, research professor at VTT, spinning textile fibres at VTT Bioruukki piloting centre. (Credit: packagingeurope.com)
In this article PackagingEurope editor Frances Butler talks with Ali Harlin, research professor at Finland’s VTT research centre, about Bioeconomy 2.0, which refers to the research and development of bio-based solutions aiming towards a renewable, reusable, recyclable and sustainable production. The article highlights the potential benefits of bio-based materials for the packaging industry, the impact of current solutions and some of the main challenges we are facing. Professor Harlin points out that it requires research and investments, as well as close collaboration between the science community and the business world in order to move from oil-based raw materials towards renewable, reusable, recyclable and sustainable production. “The main sector of development is food packaging. It is growing the fastest and causing a large sustainability challenge: material efficiency in the food delivery chain is already causing a serious trash problem and it will get worse if we continue with only plastic. New products are also coming to flexible packaging and there is more than a third of contemporary plastic applications which are replaceable with biomaterials.” he explains. Click here to read the full article on packagingeurope.com
The BLOOM Documentary about Bioeconomy
