Perpetual Plastics for Food-To-Go (PPFTG)

Using expertise in sustainable design, sustainable manufacturing and polymer chemistry to transform the FTG industry to a more circular economic system.

Food-to-go (FTG), such as prepared sandwiches and salads sold by food retailers for consumption outside the home, is a growing UK market driven by a rise in convenience consumer lifestyles. Unfortunately, the FTG industry at present generates a significant amount of single-use packaging waste which is detrimental to our planet.

Efforts to transform the FTG industry to a more circular economic system, one in which plastic packaging is no longer single-use and resource value is retained within a loop, have so far been limited.

This is, in part, due to a lack of cooperation across the supply chain, the complexity of transitioning multiple industry and consumer stakeholders to a new circular approach, and the lack of understanding of consumer behaviour.

Recognising that a single approach will not overcome these problems, we established a diverse team of Loughborough academics with expertise in sustainable design, sustainable manufacturing and polymer chemistry. They work alongside industrial partners across all stages of the FTG supply chain to address the complex web of challenges. 

Research aims

Using an interdisciplinary approach, we sought to propose a novel circular product-service system for the FTG industry to help shape a future circular business model.

This would be supported by the creation of new smart technologies, and innovative quality assurance approaches that incorporate automated image analysis. In addition, an in-depth understanding and modelling of consumer behaviour, as well as a comprehensive supply chain value assessment were also investigated.

Methodology

The PPFTG project received funding of about £1 million from Innovate UK as part of their smart sustainable plastic packaging (SSPP) Challenge (NE/V01076X/1).

The project was also supported by several established industrial partners in the FTG industry, including Marks and Spencer (M&S), Klöckner Pentaplast, MULTIVAC and Hubbub.

Taking a design-led approach, this project first aimed to develop strategic knowledge in several key areas of reuseable plastic packaging, such as optimised cleaning protocols, material deformation, up-to-date supply chain mapping and understanding current consumer practices.

This culminated in the creation of a novel reuseable packaging prototype, with design features informed equally by factors including material specifications, consumer habits and ease of manufacture and transport in the current supply chain.

In addition, more fundamental studies were also undertaken to explore the potential of new tracking technologies and how these might be incorporated into commercial packaging.

Outstanding facilities

The research team used the University’s polymer synthesis laboratories to create fluorescent monomers to act as smart logistical tracers in polymeric nanoparticles.

Custom-built equipment in the Wolfson School was used to simulate production line washing and drying of food packaging. Full thermal and mechanical characterisation was carried out with the help of our Materials Characterisation Centre (LMCC).

The physical deformation of packaging, during cleaning and simulated wear, was also captured using a novel 3D scanning technology (Artec Leo) to produce detailed digital renderings for metrological analysis. 

Findings

We quickly identified key limitations with existing single use plastic packaging that prevents existing models being directly transferred into a reuse model. Most significantly, the most commonly used material, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), undergoes deformation (warping and crumpling) when washed at the high temperatures required to ensure cleanliness.

Our findings led us to: 

  • modify the design of existing mono-material PET tray packaging to provide added thickness and support in weak areas – allowing the packaging to withstand at least 10 reuse cycles
  • successfully create an industry-ready prototype PET reuse packaging model capable of being manufactured at scale, using existing thermoforming equipment and material feedstocks – a novel concept nominated for the edie Net-Zero Award for Circular Economy Innovation of the Year 2024

Additionally, our work captured several valuable datasets to inform the creation of packaging reuse models, including behavioural information on a large set of M&S customers, value mapping of current stakeholders and information to inform future lifecycle assessment (LCA) of reuse systems. 

We also discovered a novel method for embedding unique luminescent identifiers into plastic packaging. It is currently being advanced towards commercialisation in a follow-on project.

Impact

The PPFTG project shows what can be achieved when convention is challenged. The creation of an industry-relevant reuseable packaging concept has the potential to significantly derisk the sector’s transition towards circularity. This design-led innovation will give stakeholders in the FTG industry the confidence to shift towards a zero-waste future.

References

  1. Nahar, S., Sian, M., Larder, R., Hatton, F.L., and Woolley, E. (2023) Challenges Associated with Cleaning Plastic Food Packaging for Reuse. Waste. 1, 21-39. doi.org/10.3390/waste1010003
  2. Wilson, G.T., Clark, N., Hatton, F.L., Trimingham, R. and Woolley, E. (2022), Perpetual plastic for food to go: a design-led approach to polymer research. Polym Int, 71, 1370-1375. https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.6401
  3. Larder, R.R., Hatton, F.L. (2022), Enabling the Polymer Circular Economy: Innovations in Photoluminescent Labeling of Plastic Waste for Enhanced Sorting. ACS Polymers Au, 3, 182-201. DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00040

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