Finally, I would like to underline the mismatch between a Europe dominated by personal interests and our research in materials, based on scientific objectivity,' concluded De Lucia. Research achieves its goal when it leaves doubt and turns into viable ideas. We want our innovations, what comes out of the Tailor laboratory, to be cross-cutting and useful, to serve society and to contribute to the improvement of the sector. 'I believe that every company, every entrepreneur also has a social and not only an economic role. 'Although it is estimated that more than 80 percent of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the product design phase, there is currently no unified definition on the recycling phase.' It may seem obvious, but the truth is that those who design the packaging do not always think about the downstream process.

'Recycling is only possible if the recycling chain exists and its operation is known to those who design the packaging,' as the research passage reads. Only then can we guarantee a better future for the new generations,' said De Lucia. To be effective, sustainability needs a solid scientific basis. After all, we want our choices to be guided by science and research, not popular sentiment.

Anyone can download the research carried out by Siropack in the Tailor laboratory in collaboration with the University of Bologna. 'It is a document that helps shed light on the issue of the true sustainability of packaging, in plastic or cardboard. 'Recycling and reuse of polymeric materials as a secondary raw material and separation of microplastics' is the title of a study whose costs were borne entirely by Siropack and which FreshPlaza readers can download for free here (in Italian or English). Siropack has a broad vision, as it has been investing in research for years and even has its own research center, Tailor, in collaboration with the University of Bologna. If one of these three is missing, the whole system collapses,' says Rocco De Lucia, CEO of Siropack, an Italian company that develops packaging technologies. 'Sustainability is a concept with three foundations: a social, an economic and an environmental pillar.

Download cardboard design lab