Page 59 - Plastics News August - 2023

aging they produce. About 61% of croplastics. ers, etc.). This multifaceted pressure
the equivalent bottles and cans Coca- Loop is a global circular shopping indicates that the packaging industry
Cola introduced into the market in platform that partners with leading must prioritise the adoption of more
2022 were collected and refilled or consumer packaged goods companies sustainable practices to address both
collected for recycling. to offer reusable packaging options. plastic and microplastic pollution.
Advanced packaging technologies Consumers order products online and To tackle this issue, companies must

Companies are now more actively in- have them delivered in durable, reus- actively work on reducing plastic us-
volved in research and development, able containers. Once the products age, promoting recycling, investing in
spearheading ongoing advancements are consumed, the empty containers research and development, and sup-
in packaging technologies, particularly are collected, cleaned, and refilled for porting regulatory actions. By imple-
in addressing the issue of microplas- future use. menting these strategies, companies
tics. For example, BioPak introduced Companies such as Procter & Gam- can play a pivotal role in limiting the
its Polylactic Acid (PLA) industrially ble, Nestle, PepsiCo, Danone, and release of microplastics into the envi-
compostable plastic, which breaks Unilever are also working to comply ronment.
down to its original monomer with regulations that establish micro- Furthermore, collaboration between
through thermal depolymerisation or plastic release limits from packaging industries, academia, and regulatory
hydrolysis. BASF has also made signifi- and actively engaging in discussions bodies is essential to develop com-
cant strides in this area by releasing with regulatory bodies to shape effec- prehensive and effective policies that
its home-compostable coating, com- tive policies. These companies have encompass all aspects of the problem.
pletely free of polyethylene. also reported that their main focus To promote both sustainable innova-
Additionally, companies such as Tet- is to enhance recyclability by utilis- tion and environmental safety, micro-
ra Pak, Amcor, Sealed Air, and Dow ing mono-materials and eliminating plastic regulations must be refined
Chemical Company keep exploring unnecessary complexity in packaging and tailored to the unique needs of
novel materials, barrier coatings, and design. each sector.
smart packaging designs that effec- A call to action for the packaging PreScouter senior project architect
tively prevent the migration of micro- industry and report coauthor Beatriz Gon-
plastics. The packaging industry is facing in- calves comments: “There is a need
Adoption of circular economy creasing pressure due to environ- for further research to continue eval-
uating the risks associated with micro-
By embracing the principles of the mental concerns, regulatory re- plastics, and more advanced regula-
circular economy – reuse, refill, and quirements, consumer demand, and tions should be developed and better
recycling – companies can help to re- corporate accountability, which is tailored to specific applications.”
duce our dependence on single-use also calling for the re-examination
plastics and curb the presence of mi- of its value chain (e.g., raw material
suppliers and packaging manufactur-

Addressing microplastic pollution: strategies for greener packaging

Packaging design, reassessing material selection, innovative recovery methods, and emerging recycling
technologies could be key to increasing the sustainability of healthcare plastics.

umerous considerations sur- ronment, however, there is a series of Thermoforms are widely used in
Nround the issue of sustainability initiatives involving packaging design, healthcare settings, from medical
in terms of healthcare and medical de- reassessing material selection, innova- device protection to pharmaceutical
vice packaging, including the need for tive recovery methods, and emerg- product preservation. For example,
sterilized products, specialized waste ing recycling technologies that aim to Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol
streams, and rigorous regulatory re- increase the circularity of healthcare (PETG) is a polymer used extensively
quirements. Within this complex envi- plastics. in healthcare packaging. PETG plays

PLASTICS NEWS 5959
August 2023 PLASTICS NEWS
August 2023