Project Spotlight – Au3Ra Platform: Sustainability and Circularity in Packaging

Plateforme Au3Ra – Durabilité et circularité des emballages

The Au3Ra platform is a multi-site, multi-partner resource platform deployed in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, dedicated to improving the sustainability and circularity of packaging.
Led by Industrial Technical Centers (CTIs), it aims to support stakeholders in the packaging sector in adapting their products, processes, and industrial models in line with regulatory, environmental, and industrial developments.
Launched in February 2023, the project is co-financed by the ERDF and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region. It has been certified by Polymeris, attesting to its alignment with the cluster’s innovation themes.

It is supported by three technical centers:

• IPC – Industrial Technical Center for Plastics and Composites (coordinator),
• CTCPA – Technical Center for the Preservation of Agricultural Products,
• CTP – Technical Center for Paper.

Context

The project is part of a broader trend of change in the packaging sector driven by:

• French and European regulatory requirements (the AGEC Act, the 3R Decree, the SUPD Directive, and the upcoming PPWR Regulation),
• environmental and food safety concerns,
• and issues related to the availability and sovereignty of raw materials.  

These developments require the adaptation of materials, processes, and industrial models throughout the entire packaging lifecycle.

Objectives

The Au3Ra platform aims to:

• provide companies with shared R&D resources,
• support private, collective, and collaborative projects in the packaging sector,
• contribute to reducing environmental impacts while ensuring regulatory compliance.

3R Approach

Our service offering is based on an approach structured around three key areas:

• Reduction: eco-design, weight reduction, and performance optimization.
• Reuse: assessment of packaging’s suitability for repeated use in compliance with health and safety requirements.
• Recycling: improving recyclability and incorporating recycled raw materials, including for applications with high performance requirements.

Role of partners

• IPC (coordinator)
  IPC coordinates the platform. The project was launched in February 2023 and is scheduled to run for 48 months.
  Its work focuses in particular on reuse, recycling, food safety, and the digitalization of the packaging sector.
• CTP
  CTP is the primary recipient of ERDF funding. It is involved in 10 R&D projects involving more than 170 organizations and has expanded its technical capabilities at the Grenoble site (recycling, analysis, material characterization).
• CTCPA
  CTCPA is leading 9 private and collaborative R&D projects as well as 3 collective projects.
  The equipment deployed at the Bourg-en-Bresse site is geared toward characterizing reusability and analyzing contaminants.

Funding (CTP component)

The following points pertain to the component led by the CTP:

• Total cost: €8.4 million ERDF: €3.27 million
• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region: €0.76 million
• CTP contribution: €2.2 million (50% ERDF / 50% self-financing)