Functional Labels and Active Packaging Materials Win Top European Award for Sustainable Packaging

Vidre+™ — a next-generation technology of smart labels and active packaging materials developed by Fresh Inset and brought to market in partnership with Avery Dennison, a global leader in materials science and labeling technologies — has been named the winner of the 2025 pre-commercialized Packaging Europe Sustainability Awards.

Leveraging Avery Dennison’s deep expertise in advanced materials and global converting capabilities, Fresh Inset has integrated its proprietary active-material innovation into functional labels and packaging substrates at scale. Vidre+™ transforms standard label and film materials into freshness-enhancing solutions that fit seamlessly into existing converting and labeling workflows, enabling global deployment without changes to pack design or infrastructure.

Fresh produce—one of the most valuable and fragile elements of global food systems—loses over $1 trillion annually due to natural aging and spoilage, accounting for 8–10% of worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions. Even a few extra days of freshness can significantly reduce waste, lower emissions, and unlock economic value across the supply chain.

Vidre+™ has now been recognized with one of the industry’s most respected awards — often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of sustainable packaging.” Granted annually by Packaging Europe, the award honors breakthrough technologies redefining the role of packaging in building a more efficient and sustainable food ecosystem.

“This award is a major milestone for our teams and a confirmation that scalable sustainability is possible even in complex, global supply chains. Vidre+™ allows companies to reduce food waste, manage inventory more effectively, and deliver higher-quality products to consumers. With Vidre+™ every package becomes active, working like an ‘invisible shield’ that protects the product from losing freshness,” said Krzysztof Czaplicki, Co-Founder at Fresh Inset.

“Innovation in packaging becomes meaningful only when it is scalable, functional, and delivers real impact. Our collaboration with Fresh Inset shows how material science and smart design can open entirely new possibilities for the industry. Vidre+™ is a perfect example of how labels and packaging can go beyond their traditional role and actively contribute to reducing waste and improving freshness throughout the supply chain,” said Jordy van der Heijden, Global Technology Platform Director at Avery Dennison

Vidre+™ is a technology that slows down the natural aging of fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers by integrating Vidre+™ directly into labels, stickers, and the materials from which packaging is made. It gradually releases its active component inside the packaging without leaving any residue on the product. The technology is easy to apply: it can be used as a label or printed directly onto any type of packaging material. It fits existing production lines and requires no additional investment or process changes. Its flexible dosing system allows adjustment based on packaging size, product type, and supply-chain conditions.

Unlike conventional solutions, Vidre+™ is compatible with a wide range of packaging formats—including boxes, trays, punnets, and clamshells—and can be tailored to different crop varieties and supply-chain needs. Applied post-harvest, Vidre+™ protects produce during storage and distribution, and leaves no trace once products reach consumers.

About Fresh Inset

Fresh Inset S.A. is a food-tech company from Toruń, Poland, founded in 2017 by scientists from Synthex Technologies and developed by an international team of experienced researchers, agronomists, engineers, packaging experts, and IP specialists across the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, the Netherlands, Italy, and Poland.

The company has developed and patented the unique Vidre+™ technology for extending the freshness of harvested fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The technology is patented in more than 50 countries and is currently available in South America, the USA, and Europe.

Fresh Inset is a member of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and Greentown Labs. In 2023, the company received the “Eagle of Innovation” award from Rzeczpospolita and was recently recognized in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 CE 2025 ranking.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and digital identification solutions company. We are Making Possible™ products and solutions that help advance the industries we serve, providing branding and information solutions that optimize labor and supply chain efficiency, reduce waste, advance sustainability, circularity and transparency, and better connect brands and consumers. We design and develop labeling and functional materials, radio-frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags, software applications that connect the physical and digital, and offerings that enhance branded packaging and carry or display information that improves the customer experience. Serving industries worldwide — including home and personal care, apparel, general retail, e-commerce, logistics, food and grocery, pharmaceuticals and automotive — we employ approximately 35,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Our reported sales in 2024 were $8.8 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.