A) Build environmental & climate-change awareness to encourage SME leaders & staff to actively look for innovative, sustainable packaging solutions bringing value to their organisations & their business environment at the same time B) Develop SME leaders & staff competences (with innovative tools & practical processes) allowing them to start changes and become true agents of sustainable change in their organisations C) Develop VET educators`sustainability competences; equip them with ready-made curricula, best practice examples & tools to support the adaptation of their training offers to SME leaders & staff needs to develop the skills and habits needed in the area of sustainability competencies development A-B is linked to horizontal priority by involving target groups in project activities leading to development of solutions that should not only build engagement & awareness but also lead to work-oriented sustainability competencies development in SMEs. C offers innovative & engaging teaching & learning approaches for VET educators, SME learners & leaders. VET providers will be equipped with tools, knowledge & processes to engage SME leaders & VET learners in a process leading to eco awareness change.
The consortium applied for this project in response to pressing needs identified through their work with SMEs across Europe. In Germany, recent legal changes promoting a circular economy have placed pressure on businesses to reassess packaging practices and adopt sustainable, compliant solutions at an early stage. Austrian policies aim to reduce plastic packaging by 20%, but SMEs struggle to implement effective measures due to a lack of tailored, applicable tools. In Bulgaria, eco-innovation performance is among the lowest in the EU, with plastic recycling rates at just 41% and under 1% of recycled material reintegrated into new products—highlighting a major gap between policy and practice. Despite available extended producer responsibility schemes, their implementation remains insufficient. In Poland, awareness of the zero-waste concept is low, and sustainable packaging is largely limited to large corporations. Many SMEs express willingness to act but lack the know-how, resources, and support structures to implement change. Across all countries, SMEs require hands-on guidance. The project responds to this shared EU challenge by developing practical, adaptable solutions based on real needs and regulatory contexts.