[5 December/GOV UK]
Innovators are being challenged to make the UK a world-leader in creating sustainable packaging and reduce the impact of harmful plastics on the environment. The UK Government is seeking ways to extract the economic benefits from the global shift to greener, cleaner economies. This is key part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy to bring together world-class UK science, research and innovation to develop cutting edge products and services of the future. The funding, to be backed with industry support, and delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, could help develop new forms of packaging and plastic, smart packaging labels, and ‘live’ sell-by-date patches. The new innovation could also boost the sector by a further GBP500 million a year, with the use of packaging growing due to changing consumer behaviours like the increasing popularity of online shopping. It has also been announced that through the Strategic Priorities Fund, that a collaborative research programme will boost food security by countering diseases that threaten crop production and threaten plant health.
