Prof. Dr. Selçuk Yıldırım

Selcuk Yildirim is Professor and Head of Research Center for Food Processing and Packaging in Switzerland. He did his PhD and continued doing research as Post-Doc and Group Leader at ETH-Zurich. After working at the R&D Center of Alcan Packaging he joined the Zurich University of Applied Sciences as professor.

Selcuk Yildirim is a member of the board of “Swiss Food Research” and he is founder of the Packaging Innovation Network, Switzerland. He also serves for the board of IAPRI (International Association of Packaging Research Institutes). He is author of numerous book chapters, publications and patents.

Summary

Presentation Title: Sustainable Packaging Strategies and Materials

In recent decades, packaging has undergone significant advancements aimed at preserving product quality and effectively conveying information to consumers. However, contemporary expectations extend beyond mere technical and marketing functions, now demanding that packaging also prioritizes sustainability. Most current packaging practices are not circular and pose substantial environmental challenges, including their role in contributing to climate change and worsening environmental pollution. Within this paper strategies to improve the sustainability of the packaging and reduce its environmental impact will be presented with selected examples from the market. Additionally, some research projects running at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in that field will be highlighted.