The 2. International Circular Packaging Conference was organized by the Pulp and Paper Institute, Faculty of Polymer Technology and SRIP – Circular Economy 9–10 September 2021.

InnoRenew CoE researchers Marica Mikuljan and Dr Esakkiammal Sudha joined the conference and presented their research topics. Marica Mikuljan spoke about the valorisation of hemp by-products for composite applications, and Dr Sudha presented research on modified lignin-PLA composites for packaging applications, which part of her Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action fellowship project “Modified lignin nanoparticles for composite and bio-based/Cu packaging applications (PACK-NIN)”.

Marica Mikuljan at the conference. Image: Marica Mikuljan

Dr Esakkiammal Sudha at the conference. Image: Marica Mikuljan

The keynote speaker at the conference was Duncan Mayes, founder of Lignutech Oy and an InnoRenew CoE collaborator. He highlighted the opportunities and challenges for renewable materials and the circular economy. Furthermore, Francesca Stevens, the managing director of the European organization for packaging and the environment, addressed the EU policy and regulatory developments on packaging in her keynote speech.

Conference participants from industry and academia who are involved in the packaging life cycle shared knowledge, good practices and ideas about transformation from linear to circular packaging supply chains and business models.