All about packaging sustainability

Going in Circles

The vital importance and necessity of a circular packaging ecosystem By Rob Huffman

There has never been or will be a better time than now to adopt wide-scale sustainability initiatives throughout our businesses. We do not have the luxury to take our time, and we certainly do not have the luxury of simply talking the talk. We need to take action, and do so in a meaningful way that will do good for the world around us, while driving more streamlined and profitable business operations

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the environment into an ever-sharper focus. With pollution clearing in many cities around the world, sheep spotted venturing into villages quieted by isolation measures, and birdsong intensifying just everywhere, people finally saw what our environment could sound and look like.

On the flip-side, we saw an increase in extreme weather events like never before. Whether it was heat waves across the U.S. mid-west that knocked out the power grid, wildfires in California, or hurricanes powerful enough to ravage New Orleans and New York City alike, people are starting to feel the awesome destructive impact the environment can have on our lives.

Something needs to change. But encouragingly enough, consumers around the world recognize this need and are ready to take action to reduce their environmental footprint.

Packaging waste is the poster child for corporate sustainability, or lack thereof. Excessive, unnecessary, non-recyclable packaging is instantly noticeable an,d in many cases, is the first thing consumers see in a product.

This willingness to go a more sustainable route in packaging is backed up by Trivium Packaging’s 2021 Packaging Buying Green Report, in which 73 per cent of more than 15,000 everyday consumers said they were willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly packaging.

Unfortunately, there is still too much ambiguity about what constitutes such packaging, driven by a common misunderstanding of what the words “recyclable” and “circular” really mean—specifically as to how they relate to sustainability initiatives.

In theory, most materials can be recycled, but the reality is much more nuanced. Some materials, like plastics, deteriorate when they are recycled and can very often only be recycled two or three times before ending up in a landfill or in an incinerator.

Other materials, like steel, aluminum, and glass, are at the other end of the spectrum, as they can be recycled forever.

That’s a massive difference, and it’s the “forever” part that makes a material circular as opposed to ‘just’ recyclable.

Another key difference between materials is the recycling infrastructure. Even if a material can technically be recycled, the infrastructure may not be in place to actually recycle it. Again, much ends up in a landfill, in an incinerator, or in our waterways.

For their part, metal cans are a great example of a packaging material that is both circular and have high actual recycling rates. According to a recent white paper by Trivium Packaging—titled Protect, Promote, Preserve—up to 80 per cent of all metals produced today are still available, or in use, because they recycle forever without any loss of quality.

It’s also due to the fact that steel and aluminum enjoy well over 60-percent recycling rates globally, and significantly higher in Europe.

On the other hand, packaging which is mixed or composite (packaging made from layers of different materials bonded together) is very often difficult to separate into its individual component materials in order to be deemed recyclable. Hence, more often than not the entire package ends up in a landfill.

Despite consumers having a desire to be environmentally responsible, many companies are not making it easy for them to do so. If people want to do the right thing, we need to make it easy. The infrastructure doesn’t just need to make it easier for you and me to drop off bags of recyclables; it also needs to efficiently process the recycled material and quickly get it back into the infinitely recyclable loop.

Moreover, the lack of simple, universal labeling standards, in combination with mixed messaging, leaves the public without any idea of what to do—even if their intentions are there.

Let’s face it: It is far too difficult for the everyday person to make sense of the more than 450 environmental labels in use over 199 countries and 25 industry sectors.

As a result, consumers often misunderstand, overlook, or even encounter “recycling fatigue” when trying to make their best judgement on if a material is fit for recycling or not.

So how do we fix all of this?

Companies must take it upon themselves to have clear, educational communication which empowers the consumer with the information they need to make an informed decision.

The desire to be eco-friendly is there, but it is the companies’ responsibility to share the necessary information with the consumer so they can act upon their desires.

With clearer, more direct communication, consumers can make decisions which more closely align with their personal beliefs and needs.

Additionally, it is critically important that companies inform their customers about the differences between items that are recyclable, and items that have a full circular life-cycle.

A staggering amount of the public does not know the difference, but once they are relayed this information, there is little doubt they will begin voting with their dollar for products which more closely align with their beliefs for a fully circular product life-cycle.

Lastly, we must realize that not all materials are created equal and that, certainly, not all packaging is created equal. Most everyone knows about the harm of single-use plastics, but the nuanced discussion of mixed recyclables and infinite recyclability is lagging behind.

As companies at the forefront of sustainability innovation continue to push the narrative forward, public demand will follow—obliging brands to align to their desires for a greener, healthier future for all of us.

With annual sales of over $3 billion, Trivium Packaging employs 8,000 people at more than 60 production facilities worldwide to supply a broad range of infinitely recyclable metal packaging products for a broad range of everyday consumer items.