21 October 2025 from 9:00 to 13:00 CEST
Online

Many of the products consumers purchase display eco-labels and are wrapped in promises of sustainability, bio-based content, or fair and ethical production conditions. The messages and criteria behind these labels and certification schemes often remain unclear. To simplify and decode these messages, the EU-funded research project 3-CO (Concise Consumer Communication through Robust Labels for Biobased Systems) focuses on improving how certification schemes and eco-labels communicate with consumers. By developing smart label design guidelines, digital support tools, and implementing social innovation strategies, the project addressed the challenges of transparency, trust, and consumer engagement, especially with regard to bio-based products. At its final online-event, 3-CO will showcase the project’s significant advances in consumer communication through investigating and implementing consumer perspectives and attitudes.
Taking place virtually on 21 October 2025 from 9:00 to 13:00 CEST, the event brings together international experts in certification, industry professionals, policy makers, researchers, (social) innovators, and stakeholders committed to driving a green transition of the EU’s bioeconomy and society at large.

Online-Event “Empowering Bio-Based Choices Through Smart Certification”
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sGB9lEzvTRq-E6Q3-K1_vw

Driving dialogue on certification and sustainability

In four sessions, the final 3-CO event will showcase panel discussions, expert presentations, case studies and best practise examples.

Session 1 (9:00 – 10:00): Certification and Labelling
This session kicks off the programme by highlighting how smart certification and clear labelling can enhance consumer trust in bio-based products. Expert presentations by Margaux Le Gallou (ECOS) and Loha Hashimi (ENIDE) will evaluate the role of label and certification schemes in consumer choices, put EU-eco-labels through a reality check, and introduce how the developed 3-CO-app helps consumers decode label-information and identify sustainable products.

Session 2 (10:00-11:00): Social Innovation
This session delves into the transformative potential of social innovation and includes recommendations for implementation of social innovations in EU-policy and brand strategies, presented by Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute). Noemi de Santis and Andrea Mangone from the Junker-App will introduce a successful example of social innovation with their user-friendly app that supports consumers in correctly recycling their packaging waste.

Session 3 (11:00-12:00): Policy
Putting the crucial role of policy frameworks at centre, this session explores the impact of policy and market instruments in establishing effective certification and scaling certified bio-based solutions. Kaj Seger (nova-Institute) will present the label design guidelines developed in the 3-CO project. Policy representatives will provide insights into how certification can be integrated with public procurement and regulatory strategies to foster sustainable consumption.

Session 4 (12:00 – 13:00): Consumer Perspective
This session presents the latest research on how consumers perceive and respond to bio-based products and what concerns they voice towards certification and labelling. Agnieszka Wiśniewska (University of Warsaw) will share key behavioural insights, while representatives from consumer associations will discuss communication strategies that enhance transparency, build trust, and ultimately promote sustainable purchasing choices.

Register here https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sGB9lEzvTRq-E6Q3-K1_vw

Download the preliminary agenda below
https://3co-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-08-12_3co_agenda.pdf

For more information and registration details, visit the official 3-CO project website at www.3co-project.eu.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

On 29 October 2025, the BioReCer project (https://biorecer.eu) invites stakeholder from the bio-based industries, research, certification and standardisation, and (consumer) organisations to its final event at the Ciudad de la Cultura in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Scheduled from 9:00 to 14:45 CET, this occasion marks the conclusion of the EU‑funded project, which over three years has worked intensely to improve the trust, traceability, and certification of biological feedstocks.
The BioReCer (Biological Resources Certifications Schemes) project has developed a framework for assessing the sustainability and circularity of biological resources, identified indicators of circularity, as well as guidelines for integrating these into established certification schemes. In addition, a Standardisation Toolkit was developed, which is a comprehensive online database designed to support professionals in the bio-based industry. Recommendations for the valorisation and use of biological feedstock propose integration of BioReCer findings into policy.
One key-outcome is the BioReCer ICT Tool (BIT). This digital app provides tracking and traceability information of bio-based solutions and feedstocks along the entire bio‑based value chain. By providing product information and assessing circularity indicators the BIT aims to improve decision-making through real-time data and actionable insights, but also to enhance sustainability through assessment and improved environmental performance. The tool further offers a self‑assessment function that enables companies to evaluate their own enterprise with regard to sustainability and circularity criteria, enabling evaluation on whether a company is fit for certification and what levers exist to achieve a higher certification.

Trust, Traceability, and Certification – Valorising Biobased Feedstocks
29 October 2025
9:00 to 14:45 CET
Ciudad de la Cultura, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (only on-site participation)
Register here: https://novainstitute.aidaform.com/BioReCerFinalEvent

The BioReCer project (https://biorecer.eu) has validated its approach in four case studies on biological waste and residues, including

• agriculture (Greece),
• fishery (Spain),
• municipal organic waste and wastewater (Italy) and
• forestry (Sweden),

assessing material flows, and replicability and transferability across these sectors.

In various presentations BioReCer partners will showcase key results, explain the sustainability and circularity framework (University of Santiago de Compostela), discuss circularity indicators (Imperial College London), and explain how this framework can be integrated into certification schemes (Meo Carbon Solutions). A live demonstration of the BioReCer ICT Tool (EGM) will showcase its functions supporting product traceability, self‑assessment, and certification data management.
A second block of the event will feature two moderated round tables. The first expert round will focus on sustainability and circularity assessments in the bio‑based industry, drawing on lessons from BioReCer’s case studies and contributions from related projects. The second roundtable will address the future valorisation of biological feedstocks with insights from several other EU-projects.
An exposition corner will provide space to discover BioReCer and its related EU-projects, explore project results, and materials, and to speak directly with the members of the different projects.
This final event is open to stakeholders from industry, research, certification, policy makers and (consumer) organisations who want to gain first‑hand understanding of BioReCer’s tools and methods, and their relevance for creating transparent, impactful certification for biological feedstocks.

Find the preliminary agenda here: https://biorecer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/final-event-biorecer-draft-agenda.png

Further information on the BioReCer event are available at https://biorecer.eu.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.