Much of today’s discussion focuses on replacing conventional plastics with alternative materials. While materials derived from renewable resources, such as fibre-based structures, coated paper systems, cellulose films, or PLA-based materials, offer promising pathways, their success depends on how they perform in real conditions. At ATB, we focus on understanding packaging as a functional system, where material properties, product behaviour, and environmental conditions interact. Our research integrates:

• experimental studies under realistic storage conditions

• sensor-based monitoring of temperature, humidity, O₂, CO₂ and ethylene

• modelling of product-environment interactions

• development of system-level packaging concepts

This approach enables us to design packaging solutions that are tailored to specific products and supply chains, rather than relying on generic material substitution.

Over the past decades, many promising packaging concepts often succeed in laboratory settings but fail when exposed to real supply chain conditions. High humidity, condensation, temperature fluctuations, and mechanical stress impose demanding requirements that are often underestimated. Our work addresses this gap by validating packaging solutions in realistic environments, including cold storage and transport conditions. This ensures that innovations are not only technically feasible but also robust and scalable in practice.

Sustainable packaging cannot be defined by material origin alone. A solution must:

• protect the product and maintain shelf life

• function reliably under real conditions

• fit within existing recycling or disposal systems

Current regulatory developments, such as PPWR, place strong emphasis on reducing packaging and improving recyclability. While these goals are important, they must be evaluated within the context of the entire system, including their impact on product protection and food losses. It is important to distinguish between material origin and end-of-life behaviour: a material can be derived from renewable resources without being biodegradable, and biodegradable materials may not always be compatible with existing waste systems. Without this system perspective, well-intended solutions may create unintended consequences, such as increased food losses or inefficiencies in recycling.

Our work addresses key challenges in fresh produce packaging:

• managing the moisture and condensation

• controlling the gas exchange and modified atmosphere systems (O₂, CO₂, Ethylen)

• understanding the interaction between packaging and product physiology: respiration and transpiration

• integrating sensor and real-time monitoring

• implementing models and digital twin approaches for storage and packaging

By combining experimental and digital methods, we aim to better understand and control the conditions that determine product quality.