There’s no greenwashing at the PPMA

James Causebrook

In this issue, you will find a feature on sustainable manufacturing that reports on the latest developments by PPMA members that deliver environmental benefits to their customers. And this is despite the undisputable fact that the Government is currently showing a woeful lack of leadership in this area.

It’s almost impossible at the moment if you are in manufacturing to know what on earth you should be doing to address the very real sustainability challenges that lie ahead. Businesses are trying to do the right thing by doing more with less, but increasingly the policy framework is in absolute chaos.

Earlier this year, for instance, Scotland was effectively forced to abandon its plans for a deposit return scheme, then in July, DEFRA delayed the long-awaited launch of the UK-wide extended producer responsibility scheme and with a general election looming, politicians across the board are seemingly backtracking on our country’s net zero commitments.

The Government really must standardise UK-wide recycling rules to level the eco playing field

Despite the Government showing no clear direction, PPMA members are continuing to take a longer-term view to support their customers by offering innovation and technological solutions to the pressing sustainability challenges that all manufacturing companies will face (whenever the politicians eventually get their act together). And, I would argue, our members have been doing this for many years.

For instance, equipment is being produced that can handle all types of packaging materials, including recycled and even compostable, that weren’t around ten years ago. And they have done this without much, or any, fanfare! They are also making their machines more efficient in terms of the energy used, the water used and the materials used, while also preventing product giveaway and extending product shelf lives.

As we all head to Birmingham in September (26 – 28) to visit the PPMA Show 2023 in Hall 5 of the NEC (you can find our major preview between pages 36 to 105); I challenge you all to ask every one of our exhibitors about sustainability and what their product range contributes to the debate. I believe you will be impressed by the genuine depth of detail their answers will contain. And, I believe that not many industries have facilitated such environmental change in the last ten years as the packaging and processing machinery sector. You will find proof of this in our sustainable manufacturing feature (see pages 106 – 115). n

CleaningResistant and Robust Sensors

The sensors for the washdown area are ideal for use in washdown applications in the food, beverage and packaging industries. The high-quality stainless steel 316L housing makes them robust and corrosion-resistant

Height and Angle

Measurement of Ice Cream Cups via 2D/3D Profile Sensors

Detection of Cookies with Reflex Sensors with Background Suppression

Detection of Food Trays with Reflex Sensors with Background Suppression

Color Control of Baked Goods with Vision Sensor

PPMA Show seminar programme to include state-of-the art info…

At the PPMA Show, Dimitrios Spiliopoulos, the industrial IoT lead for manufacturing at Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be joined by Philip Hooker of Cumulocity IoT for their joint seminar which is called Packaging Transformed: AI, IoT and smart industrial innovations. This is the keynote speech on Wednesday 27 September, while the keynote on Tuesday 26 will see the founder of Proper Snacks

Cassandra Stavrou MBE outline her ‘proper’ rules for business and on Thursday 28, Ross Verrall from NVIDIA EMEA Enterprise Services will talk about enabling the future with accelerated computing. To learn more about the full programme, see page 37.