Close Explore CSIRO Close

Explore CSIRO

About CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

CSIRO's core areas of impact
Contact Enquiries: Phone - 1300 363 400 | Email - Enquiries@csiro.au | Contact Us

Overview - Science

 
 printer friendly view
 
Moulded plastics trays for packaging chocolates into a cardboard gift box.
Future packaging products will be combustible, compostable and renewable.

Smart product packaging

CSIRO has applied its research expertise in manufacturing to help industry meet consumer and regulator demands for smarter product packaging.

Consumer demand for more convenient, fresher, and better-tasting food is driving the need for better packaging. At the same time, consumers are also seeking packaging that is recyclable and environmentally friendly.

Waste regulations are also putting increasing demands on the packaging industry to develop new ecological materials which are also degradable at the end of their service life.

CSIRO has developed a number of sustainable technologies that meet the above goals whilst maintaining product integrity, value and desirability.

Natural packaging

Instead of relying on oil-based packaging materials, research programs looked at packaging that can be made with natural polymers such as proteins, starch, sugars or fatty acids. 

Current research is looking at packaging made with natural polymers such as proteins, starch, sugars or fatty acids.

The goal was to produce packaging products that are combustible, compostable, renewable and carbon-dioxide neutral.

Smart packaging

Future packaging will also be ‘smart’ and have the potential for sensing, monitoring and indicating.

For example, this could include packaging that:

  • changes colour with temperature
  • beeps when it is nearing its use-by date.

Packaging materials

A number of new-age packaging materials have been invented including:

  • a new 'breathable film' for table grape packaging is enhancing the quality of stored grapes
  • new 'nano coatings' for glass bottles are better preserving the quality of food and beverage products by shielding them from damaging light waves, thus improving their shelf life.

CSIRO is also working on new security packaging – unique seals and embedded optical effects - that will indicate if the product within has been tampered with prior to purchase.

Further research

Additional packaging research also includes:

  • edible packaging and coatings
  • stronger packaging
  • improved temperature stability packaging
  • improved protection against oxygen, carbon dioxide, microbes, moisture, and odour
  • better surface appearance.

Find out more about our research work in Materials.

 

Share this CSIRO content using:

What are these?
 

Fast facts

  • Consumer demand for more convenient, fresher, and better-tasting food is driving the need for better packaging
  • Waste regulations are also putting increasing demands on the packaging industry
  • CSIRO has developed a number of sustainable technologies that meet needs whilst maintaining product integrity, value and desirability

Contact Information

Business Contact
Dr Dilip Manuel
Business Development Manager, Highett
Materials Science and Engineering
Phone: 61 3 9252 6083 
Alt Phone: 61 4 1988 3271 
Fax: 61 3 9252 6244 
Science Contact
Dr Stuart Bateman
Theme Leader
Materials Science and Engineering
Phone: 61 3 9252 6128 
Fax: 61 3 9252 6244 

Location

CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering - Clayton
Gate 5
Normanby Road
Clayton VIC 3168
Australia
Private Bag 33
Clayton South MDC VIC 3169
Australia