Europe to 'pack in' more fibre

Environmentally conscious shoppers may soon be able to cross non-recyclable packaging off their list as European researchers work towards reducing the carbon emissions caused by our throwaway society - with modified natural fibre based packaging.

Burying everyday items such as plastic drinks bottles, carrier bags and other overwrapped goodies in the ground may seem innocent enough, but each plastic bottle will take 450 years to biodegrade. The Brits currently landfill 28 million tons of waste every year and this amount is destined to double over the next twenty years if we don’t change our ways. In fact the amount of CO2 gases emitted during the manufacture of packaging waste in 2006 was estimated to be about the same as the amount produced by seven million petrol cars.

In an effort to reduce this environmental burden, materials experts at Sheffield Hallam University are working alongside 35 other research institutes, universities and partners,  from thirteen European countries, in a potentially world changing packaging project, Sustainpack.