Category: Sustainability

The packaging industry is experiencing a substantial shift in materials, primarily driven by objectives centered around sustainability. The replacement of plastic remains a priority for many brands and retailers, as they seek alternatives that may provide a smaller environmental footprint or at least be more favorably received by consumers focused on anti-plastic. 

Amazon Moves to 100% Recyclable Packaging for Europe

Amazon has announced that it has ended the use of non-recyclable packaging across Europe. The company says that all deliveries will be packed in either a flexible paper bag, board envelope or a corrugated board box. The three packaging options are being touted as easy to open and recyclable at home in all of Amazon’s European markets. These changes will apply to orders shipped from Amazon’s own warehouses and also to those being sent via third parties through the ‘Fulfilment by Amazon’ platform. Amazon highlighted that these changes will not detract from its ongoing work to ship products in their boxes without any additional packaging. Over the past year, the number of products provided in SIOC ‘ships in own container’ formats increased by 50%. These changes, combined, mean that Amazon has mitigated the use of more than a reported billion single-use plastic delivery bags from its European distribution since 2018.

Subway Joins Forces for More Sustainable Catering Platter

Subway, the global sandwich chain, has partnered with Detpak in an effort to eliminate 26 garbage trucks’ worth of plastic annually by replacing its plastic takeaway catering trays with 100% curbside recyclable platters. Manufactured in Australia and New Zealand by Detpak, a subsidiary of the South Australian packaging company Detmold Group, the new fiber-based catering platter, designed and tested at Detpak’s LaunchPad R&D laboratory in Adelaide, is aimed at easy assembly, efficient storage, and transportation. The collaboration between Detpak and Subway reflects a commitment to innovative, sustainable packaging, with Detpak Group emphasizing the importance of reducing single-use plastic for environmental and social responsibility. Subway sees the shift to 100% recyclable alternatives as a step toward the broader goal of ensuring all packaging is recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.

Pizzarette Moves Pizza Ovens From EPS to Molded Pulp Packaging

Pizzarette is an innovative cooking device that prepares pizza directly at the table, which is distributed across the Benelux countries, Germany and Switzerland by EmerioBV. To make the oven more sustainable, the distributor has been studying alternative packaging materials. The solution that has been chosen is that of molded pulp. The dome of the oven is made of terracotta or ceramic and is, therefore, somewhat vulnerable. Tests have shown that it is best to pack the domes with molded pulp. The material has minimal environmental impact and is said to provide excellent cushioning properties to keep the domes safe during transport. Also, packaging made from molded pulp is made from recycled material and is therefore 100% recyclable. This meets modern packaging standards and reduces environmental impact as factories emit less nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 and CO2. The result is that 10,000 m3 of EPS and 1.2 million plastic bags per year are replaced.

The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa) enlisted South Africa as one of the 16 countries that participated in this year’s global ‘Trend Tracker Survey’.

The biennial consumer research study, driven by Two Sides, seeks to understand consumer perceptions towards print and paper products, looking specifically at environmental awareness, reading habits, and packaging preferences.

The shift to online shopping has accelerated dramatically in recent years. At the touch of a screen, consumers can search for a product, order and have it delivered to their door, on the same day.

“Consumers have come to appreciate the safety, speed and convenience of buying products online, however many are increasingly concerned about how their goods are packaged and delivered, and how easy it is to recycle materials used,” said Samantha Choles, communications manager for Pamsa.

The global survey questioned more than 10,000 consumers on their preferences and opinions regarding various packaging types, their attributes and their impact.

Some 58% prefer products ordered online to be delivered in paper packaging while 56% are actively taking steps to increase their use of paper packaging.

“Paper’s environmental credentials stack up especially in terms of recyclability and renewability. Of course, paper remains a versatile, beautiful material and adds to the tactile experience for the consumer,” noted Choles.

Packaging plays an important part in the purchasing decision from displaying vital product information to protecting its contents. Consumers were asked to rate various packaging materials – paper/cardboard, plastic, glass and metal – against 15 environmental, visual and physical attributes.

In 10 of the 15 attributes presented, paper/cardboard scored the highest among South African consumers: better for environment (55%), less expensive (56%), home compostable (65%), lighter weight (50%), safer to use (47%), easier to recycle (42%), easier to open/close (44%), better information about the product (39%), easier to store (32%) and more practical (36%).

A significant 77% of South African consumers said they would actively support retailers who offer a packaging return system while 60% would buy more from retailers who remove plastic from their packaging. Just more than half of consumers would consider avoiding a retailer that is not actively trying to reduce their use of non-recyclable packaging.

South African consumers are demanding that retailers do more to ensure their packaging is widely recyclable, and 42% believe that paper-based packaging is easier to recycle than other materials.

Recycling data reflects this belief to a certain extent: in South Africa, just less than 61% of paper and paper packaging (1.25 million tonnes) was recycled in 2022. Metal packaging has the highest recycling rate of 76%, while glass is 44% with the recovery of various plastics trailing at 43%.

A large proportion of consumers (80%) prefer products ordered online to be delivered in appropriately sized packaging to reduce waste, with 58% preferring paper packaging for online orders.

Consumers want government to do more about single use, non-recyclable packaging

Consumers were asked to rank who they believe has the most responsibility for reducing the use of non-recyclable single-use packaging:

• 36% believe that governments and local authorities carry most responsibility in this area.
• A quarter of the respondents feel that individuals should take responsibility through their personal choices.
• 18% believe packaging manufacturers, brands and producers should be the leaders.
• Only 4% felt that retailers and supermarkets carried the most responsibility.

More than 60% of respondents agreed that non-recyclable packaging should be discouraged through taxation. South Africa’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations, gazetted in 2021, has seen a levy imposed on a variety of packaging materials. EPR seeks to drive more circular and sustainable supply chains by designing packaging for better recycling and thus reducing the volumes that go to landfill.

“South Africa has some good examples of brands leading the way, especially with packaging design and substitution, and ensuring local recyclability, while also being fit-for-purpose and safe for food contact,” says Choles.

Paper regains its place on the supermarket shelf

At Pamsa’s roundtable in July, Don MacFarlane, packaging senior at Woolworths, explained how paper and board are no longer just used for shipment or tertiary packaging. MacFarlane noted that trends show a move back to cartonboard or paper packaging from multilayer plastic flexibles for products like washing powder.

Along with the switch to paperboard punnets for fruit and vegetables, engineered paper is increasingly being used as primary packaging for dry goods, confectionery, and snacks, with an example being Nestlé Smarties.

Choles echoed, “For the circular economy to work, each of us has a role to play – starting with designing products or packaging for recycling or re-use, through to responsible disposal and separation-at-source by individuals in households, schools or offices. Closing the loop can be further enabled by retailers and businesses who implement convenient collection programmes or employ reverse logistics.”

Checkers’ Sixty60’s paper grocery bag return programme is a great example of this. The first to use paper bags for online delivery, Sixty60 also enables customers to send their used bags back with the driver.

Source:

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/178/243830.html

EUROPE – E-commerce giant Amazon has unveiled that its entire European fulfilment network now exclusively employs 100% recyclable packaging for all customer orders.

This initiative encompasses items sold by Amazon itself and those of its third-party selling partners affiliated with Fulfilment by Amazon.

Customers throughout Europe will now receive their orders in flexible paper bags, cardboard envelopes, or corrugated cardboard boxes, all devoid of any additional packaging. These materials are easily recyclable through household recycling streams after use.

Amazon has collaborated with vendors across Europe to ensure that a maximum number of its products are delivered in their ‘easy-to-open original packaging.’

Moreover, this recyclable packaging can be shipped directly to customers with an address label, eliminating the need for additional Amazon packaging.

In instances where extra packaging is still necessary, Amazon endeavors to use lighter and appropriately sized packaging. This strategy ensures secure delivery while minimizing the carbon footprint and waste generation.

Pat Lindner, Amazon’s Vice President of Sustainable Packaging and Mechatronics, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled that our European fulfilment network has transitioned to recyclable packaging for customer orders.

“This move is part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. We will continue investing in innovative technology, machine learning, and sustainable materials to ensure packaging—whether used by us or others—is beneficial for our customers, communities, and the planet.”

Over the past year, Amazon has escalated the number of products shipped without additional packaging to over 50% in Europe.

By combining various initiatives, the company estimates that it has prevented the use and circulation of more than ‘one billion single-use plastic delivery bags’ across its European distribution network since 2019.

Additionally, Amazon is currently experimenting with diverse new technologies and innovations in Europe to further enhance the sustainability of its packaging.

These initiatives encompass paper-made padded envelopes, reusable delivery bags, and incentivizing selling partners to minimize their packaging.

The company has also introduced new automated packing technology to reduce packaging requirements for a wide array of everyday items.

Back in May 2022, nearly 49% of Amazon’s shares voted in favour of the retailer addressing its use of plastics at its Annual General Meeting, according to Oceana.

This was accompanied by a report suggesting that Amazon had generated around 709 million pounds of plastic waste through e-commerce sales in 2021, exceeding its 2020 estimate of 599 million pounds by 18%.

Since then, the company has made a number of announcements related to changes within its packaging portfolio – such as trialing automated packaging machines for on-demand, made-to-measure paper bags that seek to cut down on pack volume and weight, and encouraging brands to deliver items in their original packaging, negating the need for extra packaging during delivery.

Source:

Pledge2Recycle Plastics, part of RECOUP, has launched a survey to find out more about household plastic recycling practices.

The research aims to identify the items causing confusion in recycling, while questioning citizens about their commitment to recycling bottles, pots, tubs, and trays.

Stuart Foster, CEO at RECOUP, states, “We understand that recycling plastics can be challenging for people. Our research shows that even easily recyclable items often don’t end up in recycling bins. Astonishingly, out of the 38 million plastic bottles used daily in the UK, 14 million remain uncollected for recycling.

“We are determined to comprehend the barriers preventing people from recycling, despite the availability of kerbside collection, and the reasons why some recyclable items aren’t being given a chance to be recycled.”

RECOUP added that the aim is to create a comprehensive nationwide overview of the items that confuse individuals the most when it comes to recycling. As an added incentive, Pledge2Recycle Plastics will draw one lucky winner of a £50 high street voucher from the completed surveys every month.

The data collected from this survey will be compiled and shared with the plastics industry, Local Authorities, and other stakeholders. The objective is to identify necessary changes that will support plastic recycling efforts.

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/survey-launched-to-understand-household-plastic-recycling

With summer underway and Glastonbury on the horizon, packaging specialists Paper Bag Co have re-launched their Festival Bag for 2023, the primary material in this bag is 100% washable paper, and is filled with eco-friendly alternatives to some of the most common items found at most festivals.

What is in the Festival Bag?

Last year the festival bag was used by members of the public up and down the country including very special guests at Boomtown Fair who got access to a special edition of the bag.

What’s included: Stylish zip lock rucksack derived from paper, foldable wheat cup, bamboo compressed face towels, dissolvable body wash, toothpaste tablets, natural wax earplugs, biodegradable cornstarch poncho, bamboo toothbrush, biodegradable glitter and eco-toilet roll… everything you need to enjoy a festival or camping trip without leaving a trace.

Why launch the Festival Bag?

Paper Bag Co are one of the UK’s leading providers of paper bags and given the immense impact that single use plastics and products can have on the environment, they wanted to shine a light on festival waste and the impact it can have. The festival bag is made from a sustainable and environmentally friendly material base that helps festival goers have a great time without tonnes of waste.

Jon Marling, Paper Bag Co’s Founder and Managing Director is excited to see the bags out there in 2023. “We love these bags! and you may well spot them at a festival near you as we are nearly sold out. We wanted to shine a light on more sustainable products and alternatives to some of the common items used at festivals and often the packaging used within these items produces as much waste as the items themselves, all the materials in the bag are either recyclable or compostable, and will help keep our festivals clear of waste”

The festival bag is still available for order and at £39.95 per bag and contents, it is the perfect gift for any festival or camping enthusiast.

Source:

https://spnews.com/washable-paper-backpack/

Designed by the two latest recruits to Antalis’ Smart Packaging Centre (SPC), the new packaging maximises customer experience while minimising packaging.

Tapp’d Cocktails was launched in 2019 with a goal to shake up the ready-to-drink cocktail industry. Its target audience is Gen Z, which is why the company was keen to work with Ciara and Zoe from Antalis’ SPC on its packaging design– two newly-qualified packaging technologists who also happen to fall within Tapp’d Cocktail’s target demographic.

An important product line for the company – which sells its premade drinks direct to bars and supermarkets as well as via a TV shopping channel and its own online shop – is its gift sets, containing a selection of three pre-made cocktails in bottles along with a martini glass.

While the company’s existing packaging was perfectly functional, it was failing to deliver the level of customer experience they were looking for or present the Tapp’d Cocktail brand story as well as they would have liked. After their existing supplier failed to offer a solution, Antalis Account Manager Alan Stanley and the team at the SPC stepped in.

Taking the existing gift set packaging as a starting point, Ciara and Zoe tweaked the packaging design before addressing the company’s branding concerns with new artwork that, as well as better supporting the brand identity and story, offers flexibility of use.

Made from 180gsm kraft e-flute, the new, digitally printed packaging protects the contents while a removable sleeve, made from a 450-micron white back folding boxboard and digitally printed with promotional or special occasion artwork, allows the generic gift set packaging to be updated with minimal cost and effort while enhancing customer experience.

Packaging Account Manager at Antalis, Alan Stanley, comments: “This project is a great example of how a simple yet thoughtful packaging design can deliver exceptional customer experience. It also demonstrates how Antalis is much more than just a packaging supplier – we provide a genuine partnership experience that makes customers’ lives easier. Keeping the gift box generic, albeit with strong branding, means that there is no need to store multiple versions of it; instead the new, removable sleeves can be digitally printed as required, ensuring efficient use of material and keeping storage costs to a minimum. ”

Source:

https://spnews.com/antalis-craft-drinks/

In theory, reusable and refillable packaging solutions are two of several pathways to achieving circularity, reducing waste, and tackling pollution. So, why hasn’t every trial or pilot been successful? Nestlé’s Jodie Roussell, Global Public Affairs Lead for Packaging and Sustainability, and Antje Shaw, Global Packaging Sustainability Manager, reflect on the firsthand knowledge the company has gained and set out a roadmap for future success.

World Refill Day 2023 offers an opportunity to reflect on the successes, challenges, and opportunities for developing sustainable approaches to packaging.

Reuse and refill at scale requires cooperation between manufacturers, retailers, start-ups, service providers, and policymakers to drive the necessary changes at a systems level. Reusable packaging and packaging-free delivery systems offer a significant opportunity to reduce the volume of packaging manufactured and the post-consumer packaging waste that needs to be managed by infrastructure systems.

This is why, as part of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, we support government negotiators’ efforts to enable reuse and refill. We already advocate jointly for reuse and refill with over 100 other companies who endorsed the Coalition’s vision including: 

• Moving away from single-use plastics in favor of reusable and more durable solutions

• Designing products and systems for all plastics to be reused or recycled at scale

• Accelerating the uptake of new business and delivery models at scale

For our own part, we have run over 20 pilots in 12 countries with various solutions with external partners and key customers in North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. So far, regrettably, repurchase rates and return rates on all these pilot projects have fallen below expectations and none has proven to be scalable. We have learned two key reasons for this.

Firstly, consumers expect high levels of ease of use and convenience, all at low cost. Consumers perceive the return of packaging or empty containers for refill as an extra effort and we have not yet found solutions that are sufficiently appealing for consumers to adopt this new way of shopping.

Secondly, there are specific challenges in hot and humid geographies, where pilots have failed due to concerns around food safety, shelf-life, and quality.

We will continue our research and pilots across the globe, building on our previous learnings, and continue to roll out reuse and refill solutions where possible.

We have also learned that no company can build this system alone and we know there is more work to do with retail and supply chain partners. This is why we are we are engaged in projects with value chain partners at the World Economic Forum on measurement metrics, PR3 on reuse system standards, the Consumer Goods Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation to share learnings and help advance the adoption of reuse and refill at scale.

Finally, we seek to share our practical insights with governments, to request enabling conditions that support the scaling up of voluntary pilots and best practices. Based on our learnings from the pilots, these enabling conditions for reuse and refill at scale include:

1. Legislation at the international level for a product category by product category approach to reuse and refill systems for packaged consumer goods. This legislation should recognize the differences between foods, beverages, personal care, household products, etc.

2. Decarbonization of logistics systemstowards carbon-neutral options.

3. Support for investments to modify industrial infrastructure, like investments in large-scale sorting, reverse logistics infrastructure, standardized pooled packaging, packaging return systems/bins, or regional washing facilities.

4. Review of competition laws that may hinder collective approaches to standardized shared packaging pools.

5. Implementation of global standards on systems hygiene, safety, and quality management.

6. Retroplan of a minimum time frame required for the transition; for example, a ten-year transition.

We will continue to innovate, research, pilot, and partner around the world, building on our previous learnings, and continue to roll out reuse and refill solutions where possible.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/comment/reuse-and-refill-success-challenges-and-learnings

Brazil recently became the first country in the world to achieve a 100% recycling rate for aluminum cans, according to reports. How was this landmark achieved, and how can this success be replicated in Europe? Cátilo Cândido, executive president of Abralatas (the Brazilian Association of Aluminum Can Manufacturers), tells us more.

Our recycling model is mature, very well structured and with sufficient capillarity to access and process all UBC´s discarded in Brazil. The can has been growing in consumer preference, with different formats and sizes, and conquering more and more space in the houses in Brazil.

In 2022, we recorded a flow of cans for recycling greater than the volume we sell. It is an unprecedented situation, the result of inventory adjustments throughout the production chain, but which once again confirmed that we are able to absorb and recycle the entire volume of cans consumed in the country, which resulted in the unprecedented rate of 100% recycling of cans.

What’s next for your industry now that this landmark has been achieved? What will your focus be on?

We will be focused on maintaining this index and increase the recycled content, modernizing ourselves, improving the quality of life for waste pickers, and encouraging the growth of the circular economy.

What role have waste pickers – or catadores – played in making this landmark achievement possible? How does this differ from the recycling/waste collection processes in EU countries, for example?

Catadores are essential to the entire recycling cycle. We say that they are the specialists in this field, because they are the ones who collect and correctly store the aluminum cans before sending them to the factories. They are fundamental pieces in the whole process.

The recycling procedure is similar all over the world, but in Brazil, one of the factors responsible for this success is the profitability of aluminum since the material has great commercial value. Therefore, it serves as a source of income for thousands of Brazilians, who resell the cans so that the aluminum-producing companies themselves can create new products at lower costs.

Another major factor that contributes to the high rate of aluminum recycling in our country is its life cycle. In 60 or less days, a can be bought, used, collected, recycled and sold again.

Our reverse logistics or recycling system is well structured and the can sector in Brazil takes this issue as a priority. The public and formal commitments that we already assumed, such as buying all the scrap available in the national market, the installed capacity of being able to recycle all the amount that we put up for sale and the fact that we started this Brazilian Recycling Program in 1991, are characteristics that differentiate us from these other locations. Our sector has always invested and continues to work our permanently to improve this recycling model, which makes it possible to maintain such high rates over time.

How would you respond to safety and welfare issues within the waste picker community – and what measures can regulators and industry implement to improve the conditions they work and live in?

We are constantly working in this direction. The profession of waste picker is regulated by our Ministry of Labor, with its own laws and regulations. The sector has strict safety standards and we are constantly advising the entire community of waste pickers regarding safety.

In your view, would it be possible for European countries to replicate the 100% recycling rate? How would you suggest they go about it?

It is certainly possible. For this, it is necessary to encourage the population and invest in the entire segment, from consumers to companies. It is necessary to have actions to encourage recycling, in addition to educating the population regarding waste separation.

Additionally, in developed regions, like European countries, EPR and DRS seem to be essential tools to drive higher recycling rates. There are several factors that led us to such a high level, which can be replicated in other places.

Few countries manage to maintain such high rates, but none with the extension and size of the Brazilian market. We are the 3rd largest consumer of cans on the planet. More than 31 billion units were sold in 2022. But we hope that we will have many other countries to accompany us on this sustainable path that generates benefits for the environment, the economy, and the entire population.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/comment/how-did-brazil-achieve-its-100-aluminium-can-recycling-rate-and-can-it-be-replicated-in-the-eu