D3.4: Eco-design framework for sustainable and circular food packaging for use, reuse and recycling

The transition towards a circular and sustainable food packaging system is a central pillar of the STOPP project’s mission to reduce the environmental footprint of plastics in the food packaging value chain. This deliverable, D3.4 Eco-design Framework for Sustainable and Circular Food Packaging, provides a practical and scientifically grounded methodology to support designers, manufacturers, and value chain actors in integrating eco-design principles into packaging development. It builds on the European Union’s policy landscape, particularly the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), as well as international best practices in life cycle thinking and circular economy implementation. The guidance recognises that packaging is essential for food protection, hygiene, and logistics, but it also represents a major source of material use, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving circularity therefore requires a systemic rethinking of how packaging is designed, used, and recovered. The framework responds to this need by providing a structured decision-making tool that enables the evaluation and optimisation of packaging solutions across circular strategies (design for reduction, use, reuse, recycling and design from recycling) The framework adopts a life cycle perspective and promotes a hierarchical approach consistent with the waste prevention principle—prioritising reduction first, followed by reuse, and then recycling. It integrates criteria derived from both regulatory requirements and industrial practice, such as material health, cleanability, design for disassembly, and compatibility with recycling infrastructures. Through this structured approach, the framework supports the alignment of product development with regulatory compliance, circularity targets, and sustainability performance metrics. A key innovation of this work is the development of a visual decision tree that guides practitioners through the design process, from assessing packaging necessity to defining material and system specifications. This tool bridges the gap between policy ambitions and practical implementation by translating circular economy principles into concrete, actionable design pathways. It ensures that design decisions are evidence-based, transparent, and reproducible across diverse packaging applications. The framework also explores emerging opportunities and challenges linked to digitalisation and innovation—such as the integration of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and AI-driven design optimisation—highlighting how these tools can enhance traceability and performance while introducing new environmental considerations, including electronic waste and energy demand. This deliverable provides both a strategic reference and an operational tool for the adoption of eco-design principles in plastic food packaging. It enables a holistic and measurable transition towards sustainable packaging systems that maintain food safety, reduce resource dependency, and support the EU’s vision for a climate-neutral and circular economy.