Competence Center for Sustainable and Future Oriented Packaging Solutions

Current developments and framework conditions exert a high pressure for innovation on packaging producers and users to act in a sustainable and forward-looking manner. The Competence Center "Sustainable and Future Oriented Packaging Solutions" addresses these challenges by developing suitable packaging and methods for assessing sustainability and safety. This results in a clear benefit for society and the environment.

Therefore, in the future the R&D activities as well as the expertise will be bundled and intensified in the focal points of environmental sustainability, safety, technology and social change. This will happen at the interface of the science disciplines Life Science and Engineering.

Research Focus

Food contact materials (packaging) made of plastic, paper and coated metals can contain substances in the form of impurities or transformation and decomposition products that are harmful to health and can migrate into the products through direct contact (e.g. food, pharmaceuticals). In vitro assays play an increasingly important role in the detection of these NIAS (Non Intentionally Added Substances) and are becoming a realistic alternative to animal experiments. Together with the FH Campus Wien research field “Cell Based Test Systems” and external partners, successful projects were initiated, methods developed and European excellence established. These should be further expanded, including the high degree of networking with the industry and the scientific community.

A holistically optimized packaging system represents an important lever for conserving natural resources and reducing food losses and waste. For the systematic holistic assessment of these systems, expertise has already been developed in the field of research and comprehensive possibilities (software, databases) for the calculation of life cycle assessments of packaging have been created. In addition, several projects for waste prevention and resource conservation as well as ecologically sustainable packaging development have already been started. This also includes skills training to help companies improve the environmental sustainability of their product packaging systems.

Research Field

Sustainability and Packaging Research 

Infrastructure

    • Chemical and microbiological laboratory
    • Equipment room for product development and testing
    • Life Cycle Assessment (software, databases)
    • Computer Aided Design (CAD)

    Research Team

    Contact

    Researchers

    Cooperations

    Testing and research institutes:
    OFI (Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology), OeIV (Austrian Institute of Packaging), IWI (Institute of Industrial Science)

    Company / Industry:
    Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner GmbH & Co KG, Borealis AG, Constantia Flexibles Group GmbH, Greiner Packaging International GmbH, Mayr-Melnhof Packaging GmbH, Mondi AG, Stölzle-Oberglas GmbH, Vetropack Austria GmbH, Nestlé

    Interest groups:
    ARA AG, Fachverband der Glasindustrie, Getränkekarton Austria, Propak Austria, Packforce, World Packaging Organisation

    Educational institutions:
    University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna University of Technology, University of Vienna

    Study Courses

    Packaging Technology

    Bachelor, part-time

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    Sustainable Management of Resources

    Bachelor, part-time

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    Packaging Technology and Sustainability

    Master, part-time

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