Objectives
One of the major environmental problems in European countries is the large volume of waste that is generated and must be managed each year by the competent authorities.
Due to the volume they occupy and the gradual increase that has taken place by new consumer habits, it is essential to prevent waste production and to promote in this order: its reduction, reuse and recycling and other forms of exploitation.
These priorities are an essential part of environmental policy in all countries of the European Union.
In addition, it is noticed that food industry is one of the sectors most affected by this environmental problem due to the large volume of packaging that produce.
Finding a viable solution
Eco-design is the integration of environmental aspects into product design in order to improve its sustainability throughout its life cycle comportment, including its treatment as waste.
Eco-design identifies all the environmental impacts that may occur at each stage of their life cycle, in order to try to minimize them, without prejudice to their quality and applications, and affects many aspects such as procurement of raw materials, assembly product, distribution, sale, use, repair, reuse, disposal and over all transport.
The fundamental goal of Eco-design is to develop products that have minimal environmental impact throughout their lifecycle.
Seizing the opportunity
Taking into consideration both the European environmental policy concerning the waste reduction and the absence of a comprehensive and specific training in eco-design for the food industry, the opportunity to develop an innovative project within the framework of the Erasmus+ program is identified.
The aim of EcoDESforFOOD+ Project is to develop and provide a comprehensive training for all aspects of the eco-design of packaging for the food industry with an interdisciplinary and transversal approach to the main professionals involved in the production of packaging and agri-food packaging.
The EcoDESforFOOD+ Objectives
Through this platform, EcoDESforFOOD+ project’s main objectives are:
- To provide a comprehensive and holistic training of eco-design complement to traditional training of the professionals involved.
- To improve the sustainability of the Agro food industry through the promotion of eco-design. Eco-design of products involves incorporating into product design consideration of environmental impacts throughout the total life cycle of the product.
- To make Europe an efficient society in the use of resources, produce less waste and use as a resource, whenever possible, thus advancing towards a “recycling society”.
- The development of new business opportunities in Europe.