Organised by EROSKI within the REDYSIGN project, the session gathered key food industry players to discuss current packaging challenges and co-create opportunities for circular innovation.
On 2 October, EROSKI hosted a focus group session at the headquarters of Basque Food Cluster in Zamudio (Spain), bringing together a small but diverse group of companies from the Basque food sector to explore the transition towards sustainable and circular packaging.
As part of the REDYSIGN project, the session was designed as a semi-structured discussion, and it provided an open space for producers and retailers to share experiences, concerns, and ideas about the challenges and opportunities linked to adopting new packaging models.
The event gathered participants from different sectors -dairy, legumes, wine, and retail- including companies such as Artomaña Txakolina, Garlan, Goenaga Esnekiak, Goine Berria, and EROSKI itself. Participants discussed the current regulatory challenges and co-created ideas for collaborative projects to foster a more circular and resource-efficient packaging ecosystem in the Basque region.
The focus group also featured a presentation of the SISTERS project, an EU-funded initiative aimed at reducing food waste and improving sustainability across the entire food value chain. By addressing packaging, logistics, and consumer awareness, SISTERS shares REDYSIGN’s commitment to fostering circularity and sustainability in the agri-food sector, creating valuable synergies between both projects.
Insights and reflections
Discussions revealed a strong awareness of the urgency to move towards sustainable packaging, while also acknowledging the complexity of this transition. Participants identified several interconnected challenges, from the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the economic barriers faced by small producers, to the need to build consumer trust in new packaging formats through education and communication. Ensuring traceability and food safety in refill and bulk systems, together with collaboration across the value chain, were also recognised as essential to make circular packaging a reality.
These themes strongly resonate with the approach of REDYSIGN, which seeks to bridge scientific innovation with market realities. By developing recyclable-by-design, fibre-based packaging that integrates smart digital tools and complies with the PPWR, the project directly addresses the economic, regulatory, and consumer challenges identified in the session. Through collaboration among industry partners, retailers, and research centres, REDYSIGN aims to ensure that sustainable packaging is not only technically feasible but also economically viable and socially accepted.
Collaborative ideas for sustainable packaging
The focus group concluded with several concrete pilot ideas reflecting the participants’ willingness to translate dialogue into action. Among the proposals were refill systems for txakoli wine using Bag-in-Box formats in EROSKI stores, and traceable bulk dispensers for Eusko Label legumes, initiatives that illustrate how circular models can be adapted to local products and retail contexts.
Other concepts also aligned with REDYSIGN’s technical pillars, such as exploring biobased and compostable materials for labelling and capsules or replacing plastic windows with cellulose-based alternatives. Participants also emphasised the need for consumer awareness campaigns to build confidence in refill and reusable packaging systems.
The session reaffirmed a collective commitment to advancing sustainable packaging models in the Basque food sector, while recognising the need for systemic collaboration across the value chain. By facilitating dialogue between producers, retailers, and research partners, EROSKI, within the framework of the REDYSIGN project, is helping to bridge the gap between technical feasibility and real-world applicability, contributing to a more circular, bio-based, and consumer-accepted packaging future.
About Basque Food Cluster and its approach
Basque Food Cluster leads the ontzi | Basque Food Packaging Innovation Hub, a collaborative community focused on promoting sustainable and circular packaging solutions for the food industry in the Basque Country.
The initiative connects companies, technology centres, and research organisations to address shared challenges in line with European packaging regulations and consumer expectations for environmentally responsible products.
