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From plastic to paper, that seems to be an easy step to make packaging more sustainable. This shift has been clearly visible for several years. Companies with sustainable packaging goals score a lot of goodwill with consumers. And because of its high recycling rate (90 per cent in the Netherlands and 92 per cent in Belgium), paper and cardboard packaging seem to make a major contribution to the circular packaging chain. But we should not close our eyes to the limitations and boundaries of fibre-based packaging.

Over the past year, as part of the Community of Practice Reusable Packaging, the Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV) has held a triptych of webinars on the use of reusable packaging and systems in other countries: what are relevant developments and what can we learn from them in the Netherlands? After zooming in on frontrunners France and Germany respectively, the focus during the last webinar on 10 November 2022 was on the developments within the United Kingdom (UK).

The future of packaging needs to be discussed urgently today. All participants at Packalicious Live agreed on that. A diverse group of 60 brand owners, retailers, packaging suppliers, universities and students came together in Soesterberg on 9 November for inspiration and to discuss innovative packaging solutions at system level. How can they jointly map out the way towards intrinsically sustainable packaging?

As of today, CIRCONNECT is live. This online platform allows knowledge institutions, including the KIDV, the design sector, industry associations, regional innovation parties and government organisations to share knowledge and experiences on circular design of products and packaging. In doing so, they accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

The Dutch Packaging Waste Fund (Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen) held an information session for companies on the 6th of September on changes in regulations that will come into force next year. These changes may affect their packaging, their annual declaration and their packaging administration.

The Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV) has updated The Sustainable Packaging Compass. Several adjustments have been made to this tool that relate to the recyclability of rigid plastic packaging.

Planet Reuse is a reality. One and a half years ago, the Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV) planted the seed for this first European network to accelerate the implementation and scaling up of reusable packaging models. Today the platform is officially launched in Berlin.

Companies are increasingly claiming that their packaging is plastic-free. But when is plastic-free really plastic-free? Now that more and more regulations in the Single Use Plastics Directive are coming into force, KIDV is receiving many questions about this. For this reason, the Fact sheet Environmental Claims has been updated with a section on plastic-free packaging.

So-called packaging and webshop cues actually stimulate the sustainable purchasing behaviour of consumers. Consumers value sustainable packaging and they also spend more money on products in a sustainable packaging. This is the outcome of a study by Esther Daams, master's student in psychology at the University of Groningen, commissioned by the KIDV.

Today, The Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV) publishes a new Recycle Check, namely for metal packaging. With this check, companies can easily determine whether packaging, which consists mainly of steel or aluminium, has good recyclability. The Recycle Check also provides a lot of background information on the recycling process of metal packaging.

The KIDV has made an initial comparison of the use of disposal logos on packaging in various European countries. Today, the KIDV publishes an overview of this comparison, which makes it clear to companies which logos are used in these countries, whether this is voluntary or mandatory and where companies can find information on the regulations that apply in these countries.

Germany is a frontrunner in the field of reusable packaging and reusable systems. How has reuse developed in Germany? What can the Netherlands learn from this? On 7 June 2022, the KIDV and co-host Mehrwegverband Deutschland (German Association for Reusable Packaging) held a webinar on this topic.