Innovation Fund Projects
The Innovation Fund was launched in November 2004 and there have been six Rounds to date. It aims to reduce household waste through supporting research and development projects that focus on packaging optimisation and design innovation and reducing food that households throw away.
The following is a description of the type of projects that WRAP is supporting:
Completed projects:
- Trials of lightweight glass bottles and jars. Project partners include Faraday Packaging, British Glass, GTS and Coors Brewers, producers of Grolsch beer. The project includes consumer perception studies. View the case study.
- Trials of lightweight easy open ended steel food cans by H J Heinz and Impress Group BV and the development and trial of lighter can bodies. View the case study.
- Development of a packaging minimisation standard for organic products by The Soil Association. Partners include Green & Black's and Duchy Originals.
- Setting new benchmarks for lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET) drinks bottles by Esterform for a range of carbonated drinks brands. View the case study.
- Trials of a reusable packaging system for a range of bulking home delivered products for Argos. View the case study.
- Trials of re-usable 'Carrierpacs' for home delivered kitchen worktops for B&Q. View the case study.
- The Co-operative's innovative tomato puree packaging makes the need for outer cardboard tubing packaging redundant. This product is now in store after successful trials.
- Development and trials of innovative hermetic film sealing for a range of food products, reducing the amount of packaging material, improving seal quality and providing a premium look by International Food Partners Ltd and Ceetak Ltd. View the news release.
- Trials of thinner gauge salad bags by ASDA, Kane and Eco3.
And still in progress:
- Design and prototyping for waste-saving ready meal packaging for Tesco by Sprout Design Ltd. These will be delivered in a shelf-ready format.
- Development of a reduced weight ready meal pack by Marks and Spencer and Northern Foods, as well as consumer and market research into its commercial and technical feasibility.
- Research into the viability of an innovative carrier bag dispenser to reduce the amount of bags that ASDA customers use, and ultimately throw away.
- Trials of innovative lightweight food wrap. Compak Packaging and Eco3 are researching and developing a product 30% lighter than existing stretch film.
- Trials of lightweight corrugated transit cartons for home delivered products by Kite Packaging.
- R&D to develop and test non-GM-sourced ultra-lightweight compostable biopolymer packaging for Sainsbury's by Nextek and the BioComposites Centre, University of Wales, Bangor.
- Development and trials of lighter weight soup and sauce packaging for Waitrose.
- Feasibility study by Biopac UK Ltd into the adoption of advanced packaging technology extending food shelf life.
- Applying virtual design and testing techniques developed by Altair Engineering to optimise material usage in HDPE containers for Reckitt Benckiser, by PIRA International.
- Trials of a redesigned and lighter weight preform for 500ml PET carbonated drinks bottles by Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd.
- Trials of a longer life thinner gauge food packaging solution, for fresh produce such as broccoli, at Somerfield by Long Life Solutions.
- Feasibility study and in-store testing of wine on tap; dispensing wine into refillable wine bottles, led by Eco3.
- Trials of minimal milk packaging by Dairy Crest for Sainsbury's.
- Application of state of the art virtual design and simulation techniques to optimise the weight of six leading liquid laundry and homecare by Proctor & Gamble.
- GlassRite Wine trials on bulk importation, lightweighting and glass colour choice. View project information.
- GlassRite Food, Soft Drinks and FABs (flavoured alcohol beverages) trials into lightweighting and rationalisation of glass containers. View project information.
- GlassRite Beer, Cider and Spirits trials into lightweighting of glass containers. View project information.
