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What specific packaging challenges do companies have? And what steps should they take to achieve intrinsically sustainable solutions? A diverse group of around 60 participants from business, science and education recently came together at the third edition of Packalicious Live to explore this in more detail.

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): what does the proposed new European packaging regulation entail? When will it come into force and how does the PPWR relate to the Single Use Plastics Directive, for example? KIDV, in cooperation with the Dutch Packaging Waste Fund (Afvalfonds Verpakkingen), is today publishing frequently asked questions about the PPWR.

If necessary, the KIDV Recycle Checks are updated annually. Last December, KIDV published the 2023-version of the Recycle Check for rigid plastic packaging. As of today, this 2023-version is also available in English. Compared to previous years, the format is redesigned and therefore more user-friendly. Some changes have also been made to the content to better assess the recyclability of rigid plastic materials (good, reasonable, limited or non-recyclable).

What are the main challenges and issues on the various routes to intrinsically sustainable packaging? During the second edition of Packalicious Live on 22 March, around 80 participants from business, science, education and government mapped this out. The so-called Packalicious Pioneers do not shy away from radical innovations. They firmly agree: small steps will not get us there, we have to look at packaging differently.

Registrations for the 2023 Dutch Packaging Waste Fund Awards are open. Four categories are about packaging. Do you have the best recyclable, reusable or rethink packaging, or the packaging with the most innovative use of recyclate? Then register your packaging now.

The European Commission published new proposals on 30 November 2022 under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) to encourage reuse and recycling of packaging and to end packaging waste.

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.