Page 38 - Plastics News February 2023
P. 38

FEATURE






          How to tackle sustainable packaging practices

             n estimated 36 percent of all plas-  determine the current situation. From  percent.
         Atic produced in a year is used for  there, it is important for brands to set   Overall, through innovative packaging
         packaging resulting in an increased fo-  holistic goals for plastic reduction and   design and  focus  on the elimination
         cus on the durability and lightweight-  track  progress towards those  goals.   of unnecessary packaging, FHCS has
         ing of  the material. Packaging still  Freudenberg Home and Cleaning So-  been able to reduce packaging weight
         creates high amounts of plastic waste  lutions (FHCS), for example, has set   by  10  percent  in  just  two years,  al-
         each year – affirming the urgency for  multiple targets related to packaging   ready meeting its 2025 target.
         companies to build circular processes  including design for recyclability, elim-
         in packaging and invest in protecting  inating unnecessary packaging and an  Materials matter
         our future.                         overall reduction in plastic packaging   Once unnecessary packaging has been
         The United States drives a significant   used.                          eliminated, you can take a closer look
         portion of the world’s plastic waste,  Partnerships with organisations that  at the  material you are using.  Is the
         accounting  for more than 40 million  work to accelerate the transition to  plastic you are using for packaging re-
         tons of this waste annually. More con-  a circular economy can help inspire  cyclable? Are there recycled or com-
         cerning is that little of that packaging  brands and keep them on track. The  postable alternatives that can better
         gets recycled, with the recycling rate  Ellen MacArthur Foundation, for ex-  serve this packaging? Will these alter-
         sitting at a mere five to six percent.  ample, is committed  to helping  cor-  natives have a larger carbon footprint
         Most of this waste ends up in landfills  porations eliminate  all unnecessary  than the plastic itself?
         or dumpsites, or in too many instanc-  packaging and strive towards a circu-  Today's biggest challenge  facing  the
         es, scattered across the landscape and  lar economy in all aspects of business.  industry is a shortage of recycled raw
         in our water systems.               Is that packaging necessary?        materials. There are two driving fac-

         California recently signed a new law   A good starting point is to scrutinise   tors for  this shortage: lack of con-
         into effect  which seeks  to reduce   and reduce the amount of packaging   sumer education on how to recycle
         plastic usage by 25 percent while si-  required for a product and its trans-  and limited economic value of recy-
         multaneously  mandating 65 percent   portation. Brands often make the mis-  cled material  at Material Recovery
         of all single-use  plastic packaging be   take of assuming bigger is better when   Facilities  (MRF).    MRFs  are  working
         recycled – all within a ten-year time   it comes to packaging, whether it is to   on tight budgets to sort through large
         frame. This paves the way to a larger   protect  the  product in transport  or   amounts of materials that are not re-
         goal: that  packaging  used within  the   simply stand out on a shelf. Consum-  cyclable. As a result, it is difficult for
         state be recyclable or compostable by   ers are paying attention  because 55   sustainable brands to secure recycled
         2032.                                                                   raw materials as alternatives for pack-
                                             percent of  U.S. consumers are con-  aging.
         In the wake of this legislation growing  cerned about the environmental im-
         in popularity across other states, and  pact of product packaging.      Corporations can help facilitate recy-
         the continued build of plastic packag-  There is a minimalist movement in   cling through the emphasised use of
         ing in landfills and water systems, the   packaging design to greatly reduce   mono-materials,  which consist of a
         time  is  now for corporations eve-  excess plastic waste. Brands are more   single material and are therefore eas-
         rywhere to get serious about plastic   and more focused on using only the   ily recycled. FHCS has targeted that
         waste reduction and optimised recy-  minimum of  material for  packag-  100% of its plastic packaging mate-
         cling efforts, coming full circle with a   ing,  displays,  and  fillers.  Through  an   rial be “designed for recyclability”,
         circular economy for packaging.                                         or mono-material,  by  2025  and has
                                             analysis of materials used and external   nearly reached that goal already.
         Set a goal                          packaging design, FHCS, for example,
                                             has switched  transportation shrink  Reflect on internal processes
         Corporations should conduct  an
         internal audit of  their packaging,   wrap to thinner, recycled material   The  same sustainable practices used
         whether it is for B2B or B2C use, to   which enabled the brand to reduce its   in consumer product packaging
                                             packaging thickness by as much as 75   should also be applied to a corpora-



          40   PLASTICS NEWS                                                                         February 2023
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