Week 32, Theme: Packaging the Future: Smart Solutions for a Greener Tomorrow

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Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter! Here is a digest of LinkedIn+ posts that caught my attention this week.

Content Highlights

1. Week's Theme: From Peels to Packaging, ZHAW Researchers Pioneer Sustainable Solutions by Repurposing Food Industry Waste
2. Top Shared News: ???? Save the Date! Sponsoring Event ????Join us for an exclusive evening of networking, innovation, and environmental stewardship!
3. Post from my Network: ???????Our champion, Marileidy Paulino, made history by winning gold in #París2024, breaking the Olympic record with 48.17 seconds; and also, became the first Dominican woman to win a Gold Medal.???????
4. NEW Building Cyber-Bullying Resilience: Cyber-bullying and wellbeing
5. Innovative Business Examples with Smart Packaging, ft. Tetra Pak? Connected Package

Note: The text in this newsletter was generated using various GenAI applications, including Microsoft Copilot & ChatGPT. The author recommends verifying the information provided to ensure correctness.

Week's Theme: From Peels to Packaging, ZHAW Researchers Pioneer Sustainable Solutions by Repurposing Food Industry Waste

Researchers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Nadina Müller and Selcuk Yildirim, are exploring ways to utilize waste products from industrial food production. Their three-year project focuses on repurposing by-products such as cocoa and potato peels. Müller and Yildirim have selected 15 raw materials for their research, prioritizing ten due to their large quantities and significant environmental impact.

The remaining five were chosen for their interesting properties. They deliberately included challenging by-products, such as those contaminated with heavy metals or pesticides, aiming to find solutions for these issues. The researchers have already developed a method to reduce cadmium contamination in cocoa husks to acceptable levels, sparking interest from a chocolate manufacturer in using cocoa husks for packaging.

Additionally, a student project created ice cream from cocoa husks, attracting another potential partner. Müller and Yildirim are also working on scaling up the production of a film made from potato peels, as new processing methods are required for packaging materials. Their project aims to create a comprehensive guide that addresses these complex challenges, demonstrating the potential for sustainable innovation in food production.

Source: punkt4.info

DeepTech Opportunities Leveraging Food Processing Waste

DeepTech, characterized by its advanced technological innovations and deep scientific foundations, offers significant potential for reusing or reducing byproducts and waste from food processing. Here are examples of how DeepTech can help in this area and contribute to developing relevant business models or startups.

1. Biotechnology for Upcycling Waste

• Enzyme Engineering: Biotechnology can be used to develop specific enzymes that break down complex food waste into valuable compounds, such as proteins, fibers, or bioactive molecules. These can be repurposed into high-value products like dietary supplements, animal feed, or biodegradable packaging.
• Microbial Fermentation: Microbes can be engineered to ferment food waste into valuable chemicals, biofuels, or even edible products. For example, surplus starch from potato processing can be converted into lactic acid for bioplastics or into ethanol for biofuel.

2. Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology

• Biodegradable Packaging: Nanotechnology can be employed to create high-performance, biodegradable packaging from food waste like fruit peels or shellfish shells. These materials can replace conventional plastics, reducing plastic pollution and creating a circular economy.
• Food Fortification: Waste byproducts can be used to create nanomaterials that enhance the nutritional content of food products, turning waste into a valuable input for the food industry.

3. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

• Waste Optimization Algorithms: AI can optimize food processing operations to minimize waste by predicting and managing production flows, ingredient use, and byproduct generation. Machine learning can also be used to identify the most valuable uses for different types of waste.
• Precision Agriculture: AI-driven precision agriculture can reduce food waste by improving crop yields and reducing overproduction, ensuring that food processing aligns with actual demand.

4. Circular Economy Platforms

• Blockchain for Traceability: Blockchain can ensure transparency in the supply chain, allowing consumers and businesses to track the journey of food products, including how byproducts are repurposed. This can build trust in circular economy business models and encourage waste reduction practices.
• Waste Exchange Platforms: Deep tech can support the creation of digital platforms that connect food processors with companies or startups that can reuse their byproducts. These platforms can use AI to match supply with demand, facilitating the creation of new business models around waste reuse.

5. Synthetic Biology

• Custom Organisms: Synthetic biology can create custom organisms that break down waste products into valuable resources, such as producing biofuels from cellulose in plant waste or creating bioplastics from starches.
• Food Product Innovation: By using synthetic biology, companies can design entirely new food products from waste streams, such as creating plant-based proteins or alternative dairy products from agricultural byproducts.

6. Energy Recovery and Waste-to-Energy

• Anaerobic Digestion: Deep tech can improve anaerobic digestion processes to convert organic waste into biogas more efficiently, providing renewable energy while reducing waste.
• Thermal Conversion Technologies: Advanced technologies like pyrolysis or gasification can convert food processing waste into syngas, biochar, or electricity, reducing the environmental impact and generating additional revenue streams.

Business Models and Startups

• Waste-to-Value Startups: Startups can emerge by focusing on converting specific food processing byproducts into new products. Examples include creating bioplastics from fruit peels or producing biofuels from agricultural residues.
• Subscription Models: Companies can offer waste reduction as a service, providing food processors with technology and solutions to minimize their waste footprint, in exchange for a subscription fee.
• Product-as-a-Service: Instead of selling biodegradable packaging or alternative products, companies could lease them, ensuring that they are returned and recycled at the end of their lifecycle.

By leveraging deep tech, the food industry can transform waste into valuable resources, reduce environmental impact, and open up new avenues for sustainable business models and startups.

Smart Packaging

Smart Packaging refers to packaging solutions that integrate advanced technologies to enhance the functionality, sustainability, and user experience of the packaging. This concept encompasses a range of innovations, including:

- Interactive Packaging: Packaging that interacts with consumers through digital interfaces or sensors.

- Active Packaging: Packaging that actively interacts with the contents to extend shelf life, preserve freshness, or monitor quality.

- Intelligent Packaging: Packaging with embedded sensors or data-collecting features to monitor and provide information about the product.

How Deep Tech Can Foster Innovation in Smart Packaging

Deep tech, which involves advanced and emerging technologies, can drive innovation in smart packaging through various avenues:

1. Nanotechnology:

- Functionality: Nanotechnology can create smart materials with enhanced properties, such as self-healing, antibacterial, or barrier functions.

- Example: Nanocoatings can improve the durability and safety of packaging, making it more resistant to environmental factors.

2. Internet of Things (IoT):

- Functionality: IoT can embed sensors and connectivity into packaging to monitor conditions like temperature, humidity, and spoilage.

- Example: IoT-enabled packaging can send real-time data to consumers or suppliers, ensuring optimal storage and freshness.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI):

- Functionality: AI algorithms can analyze data from smart packaging to provide insights into product quality, consumer behavior, and logistics.

- Example: AI can optimize supply chain management by predicting demand and managing inventory more efficiently.

4. Biotechnology:

- Functionality: Biotechnology can be used to develop biodegradable or bio-based materials that enhance sustainability.

- Example: Packaging materials made from mycelium or algae can reduce environmental impact while providing advanced functionalities.

5. Blockchain:

- Functionality: Blockchain technology can provide transparent and tamper-proof tracking of products from production to consumer.

- Example: Blockchain-enabled packaging can ensure authenticity and traceability, reducing counterfeiting and fraud.

The Future of Sustainable & Tech-Driven Packaging

?Related Articles & Initiatives?

• Smart packaging ? A pragmatic solution to approach sustainable food waste management
• Packaging 4.0: The threshold of an intelligent approach
• Recent Advancements in Smart Biogenic Packaging: Reshaping the Future of the Food Packaging Industry
• Biodegradable active, intelligent, and smart packaging materials for food applications
• Innovations in Smart Packaging Concepts for Food: An Extensive Review

?Partner Content: Join DeepTech & Sustainability Ventures ???? ????

Visit LinkedIn Page

?Partner Content: Investment Opportunity & Call for Founding Members

?? ?? Nanichi Atabey is a pioneering play-to-earn-and-conserve VR game that leverages Web3 customer loyalty programs for worldwide nature conservation and carbon offsetting initiatives. ??

?? Our games offer immersive experiences in captivating adventures, blending entertainment and wellness as players join vibrant, environmentally conscious metaverse communities, and embark on a profound journey that connects them with ancestral traditions while uncovering the marvels of endemic species from around the globe. We start the experience on the enchanting island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.

??Experience the forefront of gamified, sustainability-driven adventures, setting a new standard in virtual engagement and environmental stewardship.

The startup is currently looking for seed investment and motivated team members. For further details, please contact Dr. Johanny A. Pestalozzi , Founder & CEO.

Shared News

• Thrilled to share a glimpse into our innovative game concept at Nanichi Atabey! ??? Dive into our short AI-generated video that beautifully illustrates the adventure, excitement, and mission behind our pioneering VR & Web3 game. — View Post

• ???? Save the Date! Sponsoring Event ????Join us for an exclusive evening of networking, innovation, and environmental stewardship! — View Post

• A message of inspiration!? — View Post

• Submitted my application to Included VC, a global fellowship program for underrepresented people to join venture capital. — View Post

• "Product-Market Fit: How to Build a Business that Scales" by Michael Sauter. — View Post

???Exploring Cultural Traditions!???The Swiss Alpine Pasture Season! ????? — View Post

Posts from my Network

• Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores República Dominicana: ?????? Marileidy Paulino has filled us with pride once again, representing our country with a lot of commitment, strength, and perseverance. Marileidy, thank you for elevating our Dominican Republic! #París2024. ?? — View Post

• Marileidy, all Dominicans ran with you! ???????Our champion, Marileidy Paulino, made history by winning gold in #París2024, breaking the Olympic record with 48.17 seconds; she also became the first Dominican woman to win a Gold Medal. ?? Her dedication, strength, and perseverance have taken us to the top.
• ??Today we all celebrate her triumph, feeling prouder than ever to be Dominican. Thank you Marileidy, for inspiring us and for taking our flag to the place it deserves: the top of the world! ???????? #OrgulloDominicano #Paris2024 — View Post

• Watch Marileidy Paulino receiving her medal:

• SICTIC:??We celebrate 100 SICTIC financing rounds! Our SICTIC Investment Report 2024 is available online, check it out: ? https://lnkd.in/dQ6q7ANQ — View Post

• Investors Report 2024 - Venture Capital Edition. — View Post

• Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (SCIB): Travel by train, bus, and boat ?? ?? ?? You know what’s cool about hashtag#Switzerland? It’s like the Avengers of public transport—trains, buses, and boats all working together in perfect harmony. — View Post

• SWI swissinfo.ch : Ten secret Swiss places to visit. — View Website

??Building Cyber-Bullying Resilience??

This is a newly created section in this weekly magazine. After being a victim of cyberbullying, I would like to help raise awareness on the topic and provide information to prevent and successfully manage these cases.

Cyber-bullying and wellbeing

Studies have shown that adult victims of cyber-bullying experience substantial health impacts. Specifically, research conducted by the University of Zurich revealed that around 5% of adults in Switzerland experience cyber-bullying, often through work-related communications or social media platforms.

This form of experience can lead to severe psychological distress, including increased levels of anxiety and depression, impacting both personal well-being and professional performance. The stigma and lack of awareness surrounding cyber-bullying in adults can further exacerbate these issues, making it a critical area for support and workplace intervention.

Efforts to address this issue include promoting awareness and implementing policies aimed at preventing cyberbullying and providing health resources for affected individuals.

Sources: Please consult the University of Zurich Study on Cyber-Bullying, Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), and Swiss Health Surveys.

--

If you need help, please contact Victim Support Switzerland. Non-Liability Statement: The content provided herein is for informational purposes only. Users are responsible for independently assessing the relevance and accuracy of the advice provided to manage their specific situations. The provider of this information assumes no liability for any decisions or actions taken based on the content presented.

A message of resilience:

"Even in the darkest corners of the digital world, remember that your strength is a light that can't be dimmed. Every challenge you face today is shaping the resilient, empowered individual you'll become tomorrow. Keep moving forward with courage and self-belief—your journey is a testament to your inner strength and unbreakable spirit." ??

Innovative Business Examples with Smart Packaging

Tetra Pak? Connected Package

Tetra Pak? Connected Package is an advanced smart packaging solution developed by Tetra Pak that incorporates digital technologies to enhance the functionality and sustainability of packaging.

• Innovation: Tetra Pak integrates digital codes and sensors into their packaging, allowing consumers to access product information and promotions through their smartphones.
• Impact: Enhances consumer engagement and provides valuable data to manufacturers about product usage and preferences.

Overview of Tetra Pak? Connected Package

1. Digital Integration:

- Technology: The Connected Package uses digital technologies such as QR codes, NFC (Near Field Communication), and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors embedded into the packaging.

- Functionality: Consumers can scan codes with their smartphones to access detailed product information, track the product’s journey, participate in interactive promotions, and verify authenticity.

2. Enhanced Consumer Engagement:

- Technology: The packaging can incorporate interactive features such as augmented reality (AR) experiences or gamification.

- Functionality: This helps brands create a more engaging experience for consumers, such as interactive product information or educational content about the product’s origin and sustainability efforts.

3. Improved Traceability:

- Technology: IoT sensors and digital codes enable real-time monitoring of the product throughout its supply chain.

- Functionality: This ensures better transparency and traceability, helping manufacturers track the product’s condition during transport and storage, and providing consumers with detailed information about the product’s journey.

4. Sustainability Tracking:

- Technology: The Connected Package can track and report on various sustainability metrics.

- Functionality: This includes data on the product's carbon footprint, recycling information, and overall environmental impact, helping both consumers and companies make more informed, eco-friendly choices.

5. Supply Chain Efficiency:

- Technology: The integration of smart technologies improves supply chain visibility and efficiency.

- Functionality: It allows for better inventory management, reduced waste, and more efficient logistics by providing real-time data and analytics on the product’s status.

Awards and Recognition:

- Pack Expo International Packaging Innovation Awards (2020):

Tetra Pak? Connected Package was recognized for its innovation in integrating digital technology with packaging to enhance consumer interaction and supply chain management.

Applications and Examples:

1. Product Authentication:

- Example: A consumer can scan the QR code on a package to verify its authenticity, ensuring that the product is genuine and not counterfeit.

2. Interactive Experiences:

- Example: Through AR, consumers can access virtual tours of the production facility or participate in interactive games related to the brand.

3. Sustainability Reporting:

- Example: The packaging provides data on the product’s environmental impact, such as carbon emissions and recycling information, supporting sustainability efforts.

Tetra Pak? Connected Package represents a significant advancement in packaging technology, blending digital tools with traditional packaging to improve consumer engagement, traceability, and sustainability. Tetra Pak? Connected Package Website

Publications

• The new role of packaging as a digital tool
• Connected packaging campaign links Tetra Pak consumers to sustainability games
• Tetra Pak water carton with connected QR experience achieves Gold at Packaging Afristar Awards

Other Examples of Smart Packaging

Thin Film Electronics’ NFC Tags:

- Innovation: Thin Film Electronics produces NFC (Near Field Communication) tags that can be embedded into packaging to allow consumers to access digital content by tapping their smartphones.

- Impact: Facilitates interactive packaging experiences and provides a platform for marketing and consumer engagement.

PathWater:

- Innovation: PathWater uses reusable aluminum bottles with smart labels that track the bottle's usage and cleanliness through QR codes.

- Impact: Promotes sustainability by encouraging bottle reuse and providing information on the environmental impact of the consumer’s actions.

Sensitech’s Temperature Monitoring:

- Innovation: Sensitech offers smart packaging solutions with embedded temperature sensors that track and record temperature changes throughout the supply chain.

- Impact: Ensures the integrity of temperature-sensitive products like pharmaceuticals and perishable goods.

Bespoke Innovations’ Custom Packaging:

- Innovation: Bespoke Innovations uses 3D printing to create custom, personalized packaging that fits the exact dimensions of the product, enhancing protection and user experience.

- Impact: Provides a high level of customization and protection, while also reducing material waste.

Relevant Business Models Leveraging Deep Tech in Smart Packaging

1. Subscription-Based Packaging Solutions:

- Model: Offer smart packaging as a service, where businesses subscribe to a system that includes packaging materials, data analytics, and support services.

- Example: A subscription model could provide businesses with continuous access to IoT-enabled packaging and data analysis tools.

2. Data-Driven Insights and Analytics:

- Model: Develop platforms that analyze data from smart packaging to offer actionable insights for supply chain optimization, consumer behavior analysis, and product development.

- Example: Charging companies for data insights that help optimize inventory management and enhance marketing strategies.

3. Customized Smart Packaging Solutions:

- Model: Provide bespoke smart packaging solutions tailored to specific industry needs, such as temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals or interactive food packaging.

- Example: Custom smart packaging solutions for luxury goods that integrate NFC technology for authentication and customer engagement.

4. Sustainable Packaging Innovations:

- Model: Focus on creating eco-friendly smart packaging solutions that use biodegradable or recyclable materials, and offer these solutions to companies looking to improve their environmental footprint.

- Example: Selling packaging made from biodegradable materials with embedded sensors that track freshness and reduce food waste.

5. Blockchain-Based Verification Services:

- Model: Create a blockchain platform for tracking and verifying the authenticity of products through smart packaging, reducing counterfeiting and ensuring transparency.

- Example: Offering a blockchain-based service for tracking high-value goods such as luxury items or pharmaceuticals.

By integrating deep tech into smart packaging, startups can create innovative solutions that offer enhanced functionality, improved sustainability, and valuable insights, leading to successful and profitable business models.

Further publications & initiatives

• Smart Packaging Will Become a US$2.6 Billion Market by 2033
• Smart Packaging 2023-2033
• Smart Packaging: Opportunities and Challenges
• Deloitte, Capturing value from the smart packaging revolution
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Reusable packaging business models

Thank you to my network for sharing valuable content with all of us! And, THANK YOU, for reading this newsletter feed!

Feel free to subscribe to #SparkXNews and follow me on LinkedIn ?? to get notified on the next editions.

Wishing you a great weekend! ??

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