The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research in the US is accepting applications, on behalf of Clemson University and The Foundation for Fresh Produce, for the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab programme to develop packaging and packaging alternatives for specialty crops compliant with the emergent packaging regulations in the EU, UK, Canada, Japan and other key markets.

The programme seeks novel sustainable packaging or packaging alternatives that can replace single-use packaging and single-use plastic packaging but can offer at least some of the same functions in an economical manner.

Funding will be provided for up to twenty (20) awards of between $50,000 and $250,000 each.

The Sustainable Innovation Packaging Lab consists of three distinct tracks:

• Track 1 (Applied R&D) seeks proposals aimed at bringing a solution for specialty crop exports that is still at the laboratory stage but shows high promise to be implemented in pilot-scale manufacturing with minimal further effort.
• Track 2 (Technology Accelerator) seeks proposals aimed on scaling innovations in sustainable packaging for the fresh produce
• Track 3 (Scale-up and pilot) seeks proposals to run pilot-scale manufacturing projects aimed at commercialising a packaging solution for specialty crop exports.