UKRI offers up £1.5M in refillable F&B initiatives challenge

13 Sep 2023 --- UK Research & Innovation’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge, by Innovate UK, has launched a new £1.5 million (US$1.7 million) competition dubbed Liquid Food and Beverages in Refillable Packaging. 

The competition aims to drive retailers, brands and consumers to adopt reusable and refillable packaging. It is open to business-led innovation projects demonstrating in-store refill systems for high-volume liquid food and drink products. 

“Supporting reuse and refill is critical to reducing single-use plastic packaging,” explains SSPP challenge director Paul Davidson. “For this competition, we are looking for bold and ambitious innovation proposals that can help to bring refill into the mainstream for everyday liquid products such as milk, soft drinks and sauces.”

Government investments
SSPP says its £60 million (US$74.8 million) challenge is working to make plastic packaging fit for an environmentally sustainable future. It is the most significant and ambitious UK government investment to date in sustainable plastics research and innovation and realizing the potential of reuse and refill is one of its priorities.

New competition for liquid food and beverage refillable packaging is meant to drive the industry toward more eco-friendly options.Projects must include at least one large retail chain or brand owner and involve in-store trials in five or more stores lasting at least six months. The refill systems available to enter the competition include dairy and non-dairy milks, water, fruit and vegetable juices, alcohol, soft drinks and condiments.

When describing the purpose of the competition, Davidsons says, “it is about making it easy, convenient and cost-effective for consumers, retailers and the retail supply chain.”

UK focus
The competition runs until October 25, 2023. Those interested in the competition can find the full details of the scope and application process, registration for the competition briefing webinar and details of further Innovate UK support for applicants on the government’s website.

SSPP aims to establish the UK as a leading innovator in smart and environmentally sustainable plastic packaging, driving cleaner growth across the supply chain and significantly reducing plastic waste entering the environment by 2025.

The challenge brings together academia, the plastic packaging value chain and other key stakeholders and supports the delivery of the 2025 UK Plastics Pact targets.

With the UK Plastics Pact in mind, Coveris’ business segment, ReCover, opened its second recycling facility for de-inking printed PE packaging films from post-industrial waste sources and regranulating them into recycled PE resin dubbed ReGen.

The ReGen pellet will initially be used to fulfill requirements of recycled content within the Coveris Group and is compliant with the UK Plastic Packaging Tax, in addition to supporting UK Plastic Pact targets, the company shared.

Edited by Sabine Waldeck