At Fruit Logistica, a panel organized by ProFood and Freshfel Europe addressed the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and its implications for the European single market. The focus was on the plastic packaging ban for fruits and vegetables under 1.5 kg, with concerns about potential disruptions in product quality, food waste, and market fragmentation.
Roberto Zanichelli from ProFood initiated the discussion, emphasizing ongoing advocacy efforts for rational PPWR implementation. He referenced a study titled "Fruit and vegetable products and primary packaging: a preliminary study on environmental impact from field to table," conducted by the University of Turin's Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences. This study, using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, suggested that rPET packaging performs better environmentally than cardboard in terms of CO₂ emissions, land use, water resources, and food waste reduction.
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"You cannot address sustainability without considering the entire product life cycle," Zanichelli noted, highlighting the risks of eliminating plastic packaging without viable alternatives.
Joanna Nathanson of Freshfel Europe discussed the PPWR process, stating, "We need to ensure harmonization across European markets and regulatory certainty to enable appropriate investment." She pointed out the financial challenges companies face when shifting from plastic to paper-based production lines.
Massimiliano Del Core from Ortofrutta Italia presented data on the regulation's impact across the value chain, advocating for a balanced approach. Meanwhile, Luc Vanoirbeek of COPA-COGECA warned against market fragmentation due to varying exemption lists by Member States. "We are talking about a market that serves 27 Member States: if each country works out its own exemptions, the single market will be undermined," he stated.
Daniel Duguay from the Canadian Produce Marketing Association shared insights from Canada, where similar restrictions were reconsidered. "In Canada, we have begun to question the supposed theoretical benefits of these measures," he explained, emphasizing the importance of packaging functionality over material composition.
Retailers' roles were also discussed, with packaging seen as key for product preservation and strategic sales management. Last year, ProFood members advocated for a "non-ideological, data-driven" approach to PPWR, emphasizing a balanced perspective.
Source: Packaging Europe