45 TEMA CENTRAL I MAIN TOPIC Technological innovation, a competitive advantage for sustainability in the packaging sector Sílvia Palomé Pont, Business Development Manager in the Packaging Market at the Eurecat technological center logistics while maintaining product properties and traceability, is another growing trend. In the coming years, the impact of RecyClass certification will also be highly relevant. This standard, aligned with the new European regulation on packaging and packaging waste, has been accredited by Eurecat since 2025 and certifies that a plastic container is well-designed for recycling and that the recycled plastic it contains is genuine and traceable. All these factors paint a new picture of transformation for the sector, which forward-thinking companies are already embracing, aware of the need to respond to the shift in consumption habits towards sustainable and environmentally friendly options. In this regard, according to data from Shorr’s 2025 Sustainable Packaging Consumer Report, end-user awareness of choosing products with sustainable packaging has increased. Specifically, 54% of consumers have specifically purchased products with sustainable packaging in recent months, and almost 70% of consumers globally expect companies to offer sustainable packaging in the very near future. Food Packaging According to the report Europe Food Packaging Market Size & Outlook, 2025–2030, by Grand View Research, food packaging represents a very significant part of the total market, with Europe accounting for around 25–30% of the global food packaging market in terms of value. In this regard, Fortune Business Insights valued the global food packaging market at $505.27 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow from $533.22 billion in 2025 to $815.51 billion in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.26%. Given these figures, the new regulatory framework provides a unique opportunity for companies to anticipate challenges through technological innovation, as well as creating synergies and building an ecosystem geared towards achieving the sustainability goals set at the European level. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Eurecat actively contributes to 13 of the 17 goals set out in the document, through R&D&I projects, advanced technologies, best environmental practices, and initiatives with social and economic impact, such as human well-being, equity, and collaboration with stakeholders. To achieve this, Eurecat works together with stakeholders across the entire packaging value chain to offer sustainable and innovative solutions to the challenges of the sector, based on a new, innovative approach that emphasizes ecodesign and recyclability. Now is the time to work together to transform this challenge into a real competitive advantage that adds value to businesses, society, and the planet as a whole. El nuevo marco regulatorio constituye una palanca única para que las empresas puedan anticiparse a los desafíos gracias a la innovación tecnológica The new regulatory framework provides a unique lever for companies to anticipate challenges through technological innovation ‘
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