Packaging is a resource, not a waste
Chutima Saengow, Communications Manager for Southeast Asia and Pacific at leading services solutions provider Sidel, explores the role of PET plastic in overcoming the sustainability challenge Written by: Chutima Saengow, Communications Manager for Southeast Asia and Pacific, Sidel
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he packaging industry – like every one of us – has to face up to climate change, pollution and scarcity. What are the challenges and how can we make our future more sustainable? By far the biggest contributor to global warming – at more than 73 percent 1 – is energy consumption. Reducing energy use should be every organisation’s priority. It is certainly high on the agenda in the packaging industry. According to Climate Collaborative, on average, packaging accounts for about five percent of the energy used in the life cycle of a food product, 8 | APAC Outlook issue 56
making it a significant source of GHG emissions. Marine waste is another huge environmental problem. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has found that 90 percent of litter in our oceans is made up of different plastic polymers. Packaging makes up just eight percent of that total, but our industry is now moving more quickly to address this issue. The world must also confront water scarcity. By 2025, up to 3.5 billion people might be living in areas of water stress. Without a developed water infrastructure, the only way to get them drinkable water will be
by using packaging in one form or another. So, how is the packaging industry stepping up to these challenges? By making a drastic shift from a linear to a circular economy model. We need to acknowledge that packaging is a resource, not a waste. By keeping it in the circular economy loop, PET plastic packaging can play a pivotal role in protecting and distributing our most precious products. This has been recognised by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation through its New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, in which Sidel is one of the signatories.
