Launched in 2021, the ZERO PLASTICS project set out to tackle a major environmental challenge: the heavy use of non-biodegradable plastics in food packaging. Backed by €1.4 million from our lead partner - the Government of Navarra’s Department of Industry, Ecological Transformation, and Digital Business (Spain) - the project focused on creating sustainable packaging for pre-prepared and pre-cooked food that is non-plastic, biodegradable, recycled, and 100% recyclable.
The goal? To keep food safe and tasty throughout its shelf life, cut down on food waste, and speed up the shift to a greener food industry.
Driving innovation together
The initiative was led by Solidus, a global leader in the manufacture of solid board packaging. Over three years, Solidus successfully collaborated with Viscofan, a world leader in food casing production, and NAITEC, a mobility and mechatronics technology center, to develop new materials. The partnership also included a company that provides quality control of materials through artificial vision (Vision Quality), as well as a center specialized in research, development and innovation (R&D&I) (GLS-Exkal), which worked on the requirements of foodstuffs for their preservation.
These materials were tested by three food firms: Florette, Goikoa and Palacios. Each of these companies explored different packaging formats tailored to their specific industrial products. Overall, the main results of this consortium were:
- Pre-industrial, industrial-scale tests of the packaging developed by Solidus in collaboration with Goikoa showed promising results. It was possible to thermoform a material containing 70% cardboard, which greatly reduced the amount of plastic per pack. This material provides an adequate barrier to gases and water vapour, thus guaranteeing the products' current shelf life.
- Significant progress was made in optimizing the design of the trays in collaboration with Palacios. However, areas for improvement were identified and work was carried out on structural solutions that promise to enhance the efficiency of the packaging.
- Florette also made a substantial degree of advancement. In its search for plastic alternatives, such as bio-based flexible films of vegetable origin, paper and mixtures of the two, as well as cellulose. Work was also been carried out on the V range (pre-cooked or ready-to-eat food products), replacing plastic bowls with Kraft paper ones, with promising results.
- The contribution of GLS-Exkal was to increase knowledge about the preservation requirements of fresh and convenience foods, as well as identifying properties of materials used for packaging that meet the requirements for displaying food.
- Regarding NAITEC's output, it developed a bio-based coating for waterproofing paper substrates. This involved studying materials to create barriers against water and water vapour, as well as formulating and characterizing coatings. They also optimized characterization tests applicable to other projects.
- Vision Quality investigated integrating a non-contact image processing system to detect sealing defects and foreign bodies in packaging. Tests were carried out using real products from companies such as Florette, Goikoa and Palacios to demonstrate the effectiveness of artificial vision and deep learning algorithms in identifying defects.
A step forward for Navarra
ZERO PLASTICS not only delivered promising packaging innovations but also strengthened Navarra’s position as a leader in sustainable production and efficient resource use. By replacing traditional plastics with eco-friendly alternatives, the project supports new business models built on bioeconomy and circular economy principles - paving the way for a cleaner, greener future in the agri-food sector.
For further information visit: https://www.naitec.es/conocimiento/proyectos/proyecto-zero-plastics/ or watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L54pyk1LLxY
