Its purpose is to share different viewpoints, to take stock of initiatives already launched, and to accelerate the emergence of new solutions to comply with the 3R decree of the AGEC law (Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy). It is integrated into the students' curriculum, particularly those who choose the eco-design of food packaging specialization in their third year, and highlights the unique aspect of their profile: dual expertise in product and packaging.
For Benoît Mefort, Innovation Director at Mecapack, the presence of an OEM in this chair is natural: “Machine manufacturers have a central position, between packaging material manufacturers, those placing products on the market, and consumers. They are able to act to accelerate the market launch of innovations. For example, we are regularly approached by film manufacturers to test new products; this is a base of experience that we can make available to guide research.”
The research department of the Agro Institute of Dijon also has valuable resources for work on reducing and recycling plastic packaging: "Plastic cannot disappear overnight; we have already done a lot of work on reducing thickness, now we need to move forward with mono-material solutions. I think that on this subject, the Institute's expertise in container/content interaction will be very useful," explains Benoît Mefort.
Participating in this chair is a logical next step for machine manufacturers, who have already embraced the topic of sustainable packaging both individually and within the collectives that bring them together. They notably participated in collaborative innovation during the first two editions of the Packathon organized by GEPPIA. "There isn't an innovation project we undertake that doesn't involve a consortium of skills. It's an opportunity to collectively shift the paradigm. And that means opening ourselves up to new partners, such as competitiveness clusters, as well as collaborating with our peers," emphasizes Benoît Mefort.
In fact, things are starting to change in the BtoB agri-food sector. Article 28 of the EGAlim law, which came into force on January 1, 2025, has spurred the development of sealing solutions for reusable rigid containers, reusable and resealing plastic trays, and also machines that automate the filling of stainless steel containers with lids and paper bands.
To continue along this path, Benoît Mefort also believes it is useful to work on neutral and directly comparable LCAs (Life Cycle Assessments), in order, he says, "to be able to objectively define which solution is the most virtuous in each context of production/delivery/use/reuse or end of life." An idea we will certainly follow in 2025.
