– JOINT FINAL EVENT –
From Plastic Pollution
to Circular Solutions
Sustainable food packaging and novel applications — showcasing EU research results and their policy relevance.
Thursday
3 December 2026
Time
09:00 - 16:30 CET
Warwick Grand-Place
Brussels
About the Event
From Plastic Pollution to Circular Solutions is the joint final event of the STOPP and REBIOLUTION projects, bringing together research, industry and policy perspectives to explore the transition towards more sustainable and circular packaging solutions.
Taking place on 3 December 2026 in Brussels, the event will showcase key results from both EU-funded projects and connect scientific evidence with current European packaging policy needs.
Through presentations, expert discussions and a roundtable, participants will explore practical solutions, remaining challenges and pathways to accelerate the uptake of sustainable packaging systems.
What We’ll Explore
Key research results and practical perspectives from STOPP and REBIOLUTION.
01.
Reuse
Strategies and approaches to reduce dependence on single-use packaging.
02.
Recycling
Challenges and opportunities for improving packaging circularity and material recovery.
03.
Bio-based Materials
Innovative materials designed to reduce dependence on fossil-based resources.
04.
Biodegradable Solutions
Research into biodegradable packaging and its performance under different conditions.
05.
Environmental Impact
Evidence and assessment supporting more sustainable packaging choices.
What We’ll Explore
A full day connecting research results, industry perspectives and European packaging policy.
- 09:00–09:30 — Registration & networking coffee
- 09:30–09:45 — Welcome & setting the scene
- Keti Medarova-Bergstrom, REA / European Commission
- Milad Mosallaei, VTT (STOPP)
- Kai Oliver Siegenthaler, BASF (REBIOLUTION)
- 09:45–10:45 — PART A · Key EU project insights
- Understanding environmental impacts, sustainability and policy relevance of food packaging and agricultural films
- STOPP | Environmental impacts of plastic food packaging and prevention strategies — Andrej Krzan, NIC
- Sustainability assessment and consumer acceptance of circular packaging solutions — Julia Cilleruelo Palomero, GreenDelta
- REBIOLUTION | Technically “non-recyclable” applications and persistent microplastics in the ecosystem — Kai Siegenthaler, BASF
- LCA and the “dilemma of bio”: why LCA does not reflect the benefits of bio-based and biodegradable materials — Miriam Weber, Hydra Marine Sciences & Maria Gallego, Contactica
- 10:45–11:45 — PART B · Circular packaging solutions in practice
- Innovations for reuse, recycling and biodegradation
- STOPP | Operational insights, barriers and scalability of reuse systems — Farzin Javanshour, VTT
- Recycling pathways and food-contact safety — Mathilde Taveau, PRE
- REBIOLUTION | Material development and downstream processing results — Yannick Matt, BASF
- Biodegradation performance and recycling results — Prof. Michael Sander, ETH Zürich & Christian Lott, Hydra Marine Sciences
- 11:45–12:05 — KEYNOTE · From evidence to regulation
- What does EU packaging policy need from EU R&I projects? — Wolfgang Trunk, DG ENV
- 12:05–13:15 — ROUNDTABLE · From evidence to impact
- Accelerating and scaling up sustainable packaging systems, with representatives of EU policy, industry, recyclers, academia, consumer and civil society organisations, and EU projects.
- 13:15–13:30 — Key takeaways and outlook
- 13:30–14:30 — Networking lunch
- EU R&I projects poster session
- 14:30–16:30 — INTERNAL WORKSHOP · EU packaging projects clustering session
- Knowledge exchange and networking between Horizon Europe projects working on innovative, sustainable and circular solutions for the packaging sector.
- Organised by the Research Executive Agency, European Commission.
Who Should Attend?
The event brings together the people shaping the future of sustainable packaging — from scientific research to market uptake and policy.
Researchers & Academia
Industry & SMEs
Industry & SMEs
Recyclers
Technology & R&D Organisations
Bioeconomy / Circular Economy Stakeholders
Consumers & Civil Society
Recyclers
Join us in Brussels
Warwick Grand-Place Brussels
Rue Duquesnoy 5 1000 Brussels, Belgium
3 December 2026
09:00 – 16:30 CET
Registration
Join the Joint Final Event
Register to attend From Plastic Pollution to Circular Solutions in Brussels. Participation is free, but registration is required.