Page 38 - Plastics News June 2023

FEATURE

Packaging Sustainability by Design: 7 Steps to Circular Success

goods brands and retailers shows:
75% use plastics in packaging;

61% use paper;
14% use glass;
13% use metal.

Projections show plastics will grow
across every category, and the
u o flex fi w expan a a
4-6% compound annual growth rate
(CAGR), slightly above the 3-4%
CAGR fo plastic overall. Plastic fi
o significan operationa an sus-
circular packaging economy re- legislation and the recovery systems
A quires improvements in design, for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) tain benefits. Ten streng
recovery infrastructure, and regulato- companies. delivers more protection with less
ry changes, according to a new PMMI/ “By releasing this deep dive into the material. Light weight and compact
AMERIPEN packaging trends study. footprint reduce carbon emissions
trends driving the circular packag- during distribution. Highly customiz-
Packaging has always been a balanc- ing system, we hope to facilitate an run efficien on filling
ing act. Consumer packaged goods industry dialogue that will help close lines and reduce overall cost and cy-
(CPG) companies must weigh cost the gap between design needs and re- cle time. Consumers appreciate the
versus performance and market ap- covery needs,” says Jorge Izquierdo, format’s light weight, reduced shelf
peal versus machinability. As interest vice president, market development, space requirements, and potential for
in sustainable packaging has grown, PMMI. Based on extensive research easy-opening and resealing features.
brand owners also must balance pack- and analysis, the study’s goal is to
aging circularity with price, safety, spark a conversation on trends, pre- Although usage continues to grow,
figu fro Recycling Partn
distribution requirements, material sent forecasts for the coming decade,
availability, and overall environmen- and recognize the role of multiple show only 1.9% of the U.S. popula-
tal impact. This requires a dialogue stakeholders in advancing a circular tion acc to flex fi recy-
among stakeholders about packaging packaging system. cling. Mo o fi reco
design, material choices, and end-of- The 10-year forecasts and materials from retail drop-off programs, but
life disposal options. consumer participation in these pro-
sales projections indicate plastic pack- grams is low. As a result, establishing a
To begin this conversation, PMMI, The aging, particularly the flexible pouch circular economy for flexible films will
Association for Packaging and Pro- format; recycled-content packag- necessitate a substantial expansion in
cessing Technologies, and AMERIPEN, ing, primarily paper and plastic; and recycling infrastructure that involves
the American Institute for Packaging compostable packaging will experi- better collection, sortation, and end-
and the Environment, have published ence the highest demand, although of-life reprocessing, potentially in-
2023 Packaging Compass: Evaluating the latter represents a small share of cluding widespread use of chemical
Trends in US Packaging Design Over the market. Despite the disparity in recycling. The report explains chemi-
the Next Decade and Implications usage, these three formats have the cal recycling aka advanced recycling is
for the Future of a Circular Packaging same hurdles to overcome, a lack of an emerging technology that reverts
System. The study and accompany- end-of-life recovery infrastructure as materials to their original monomers.
ing infographic identify key trends in well as effective legislative and invest- Its adoption could enhance opportu-
packaging design and materials and ment strategies. n fo circu reu o flex
the implications of these trends on fi increasing collection, lower-
A survey of 394 consumer-packaged

38 PLASTICS NEWS June 2023