The journey to really sustainable packaging with Lignoo

The food industry continues to develop and thus the conversation for sustainability. While the efforts to reduce waste and minimize environmental damage grows, real changes requires more than just good intentions. It requires innovation, transparency and commitment. Lignoo, founded by Katerina Mouliadou, deals head -on with this challenge.

The company was launched in 2023 and tackled one of the most overlooked yet essential aspects of sustainability: water bottles. An estimated 1 million plastic bottles worldwide are bought every minute, but less than 10 percent are recycled, which contributes to the global crisis of plastic waste.

In this age, in which only individual substances and misleading “green” claims dominate the market, the mission of Lignoo is refreshingly clear. “The mission of Lignoo is to provide innovative, environmentally friendly, environmentally friendly and safe consumer goods products for people and the planets,” says Katerina.

A personal drive for changes

Katerina's journey into sustainable packaging was not purely professional. It was deeply personal. With a background in the medical and health industry, she understood how products were designed and manufactured. However, when she became a mother, she also became hyper -conscious. “Water bottles were an important problem with which I was confronted,” she explains. “I thought there are so many materials out there, so many new technologies that could do it better.”

But it is not always easy. Many brands market their products so sustainably by exchanging another material for another, but as Katerina emphasizes, this does not always mean that the entire product is really sustainable. “The focus is often on the inclusion of a material that trends or perceived as sustainable by the consumer,” she says. “So you could include this in one aspect of the product, but not in the lid or the run that comes into contact with your mouth or packaging.” The result? Confusion about how sustainable and safe the product is.

The struggle for true sustainability

Creating a really sustainable water bottle is not an easy task – there are constant battles.

The first hurdle? Materials. Lignoo tried to create a bottle of naturally derived, renewable sources and to ensure that it remained durable and safe for everyday use. “Ideally, you want you to be degradable,” she explains. “But when it comes to the fact that water comes into contact, you don't want your bottle to melt.”

Through partnerships with research centers and universities, Lignoo has benefited from access to innovative resources and test methods and refined their approach at every step. “There are some ideal materials on paper, but when it comes to acting, it doesn't work so well for your application,” reveals Katerina. The trial of the attempt to make mistakes and innovation continues, but the company is determined to launch its first bottle by the end of the year.

Transparency: The key to the trust of the consumer

One of the decisive principles of Lignoo is transparency. In a world in which Greenwashing is widespread, Katerina believes that honesty is essential. “You may have heard of the digital product pass,” she says. This concept, which gains traction in the EU, enables consumers to scan a QR code and access detailed information about a product: where it was made, which materials it contains and how to correct it. Lignoo proactively integrates this transparency into its products, so that if it finally becomes an obligatory requirement, the curve is ahead.

Who should take responsibility for changes?

Sustainability is a common responsibility, but Katerina is firmly convinced that companies have to lead the way.

People who work together would be ideal, but I think this path has to be made by the companies. Consumers cannot change unless an option or choice. “

Many companies argue that consumers have to advance the demand for sustainable products, while consumers often expect companies to take the lead. According to Nielseniqs 2023 CPG sustainability report from 2023, 81 percent of consumers want to do the right and make sustainability an important part of their lives, but 26 percent cited confusion as an important obstacle to the introduction of sustainable lifestyles.

This cycle of inactivity is exactly what Lignoo tries to break. “We have to be aware that there are some regulatory gaps with which companies can offer a cheaper alternative,” warns Katerina. And the consequences of these abbreviations are not only environmentally related, but can also influence human health.

“Nothing is more sustainable than something that is healthy for her at first,” she emphasizes. “All decisions that we make today will be confronted with the consequences in the future either in our own home or in our environment.”

Recognition and acceleration of Lignoo's effects

Caterina's commitment and innovation have not been unnoticed. She was recently appointed Innovate UK award winner as the winner of the innovation in Innovation Award, a service that has significantly accelerated the effects of Lignoo. “It has completely changed our plans,” she says. “Because without financing support, our development would have been much slower and more complex.”

The award not only provided financial support, but also valuable support for companies, networks and mentoring. “And on a personal level, it is also great to see that your business idea and concept are valid because it was rated against around 1,500 other applicants,” she adds.

The future of sustainable packaging

While Lignoo's water bottles may be the first step, Katerina has a much larger vision for the future. “The business is not just about bottles of water,” she says. “It is about the data that we create through our research and the methodology for achieving it.”

Lignoo aims to exchange its results with other companies and promote the industry -wide changes.

I don't want to set up patents or restrictions to prevent people from knowing what I do. I try to share as much as possible and encourage others to get on the way. “

The future of food packaging must go beyond aesthetic and marketing claims. It must prioritize the environmental impact, health and formation of consumers. “There are many large companies that take big steps when it comes to sustainable packaging,” admits Katerina. “But the training of consumer training is really important. I have seen and met so many new and other packaging, but as a consumer we don't know it [it is different]. It just looks like any other film that was out there ten years ago. “

Without proper guidance and training to determine whether a product is based biodegradable or biologically, consumers can unknowingly discard the environmentally friendly packaging and undermine the advantages.

When we look at a greener, healthier future, Katerina's message is clear: “We all have to be much more vigilant, what we have in the mouth, what we eat, what we put on our skin and which products we use every day.”