Circular packaging solutions in the pasta industry

The research and adoption of new packaging materials in the pasta sector are mainly motivated by a dual need. On the one hand, trying to guarantee a sustainable supply of raw materials, favouring renewable resources to preserve the planet; on the other hand, promoting efficient waste management in the post-consumer phase, which includes both separate waste collection by consumers and industrial recovery and recycling activities carried out in the plants intended for these activities. The adoption of the European Strategy for Plastics in a circular economy marked a fundamental transition towards a new sustainable economic paradigm. This strategy stems from the fundamental principles of the waste hierarchy, the circular economy, and the EU Green Deal, which are all interconnected. There are numerous possible alternatives to replace the packaging currently used in the pasta sector with more sustainable choices and numerous successful case histories on the market and packaging re-engineering paths undertaken in recent years by Italian pasta-producing food companies. The imperative model to take inspiration from is that of the well-known three R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle): reduce waste, reuse packaging or use recycled materials, or design packaging so it can be recycled.