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Issue 22:3 - May 2022

SUSTAINABLE

PACKAGING NEWS

Taking the lead in sustainability

Sustainability in FMCG The latest developments in sustainable packaging within the FMCG sector

Reducing Waste

Innovative solutions to reduce waste

Paper Packaging Recyclability

Going Beyond Traceability

A quarter of the fish caught globally is done so illegally. Traceability is the first step to eliminate these practices.

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WELCOME TO SPN MAGAZINE

Welcome to

SUSTAINABLE

PACKAGING NEWS

Dear all

May 2022

I hope that everyone was able to enjoy a relaxing Easter break despite all the on-going challenges and unrest around us in the world today. Things have certainly changed dramatically since my last welcome letter to you.

Issue 22:3 - May 2022

SUSTAINABLE

PACKAGING NEWS

Now, with the war in Ukraine entering its third month, material shortages and supply chain issues have become top of mind. And all this following the last two difficult years for our industry. In our regular 20-20 vision feature, we look back at how the new world order has impacted our industry and will continue to do so going forward. In any event, and despite the terrible events in Ukraine, there have been some positive developments in our world of packaging.

Sustainability in FMCG The latest developments in sustainable packaging within the FMCG sector

Reducing Waste

Innovative solutions to reduce waste

Paper Packaging Recyclability

For example, we have a major story concerning the traceability of seafood, especially fish farmed in the Pacific Ocean. In this arena, Digimarc, along with Pacifical, have combined to achieve the new DGST interoperability and traceability test standard. In addition, there is news on the latest moves to improve sustainability in the FMCG industry, including a story that has made Easter-egg packaging more sustainable than ever! Furthermore, there are several features covering the latest developments surrounding the world of recyclability. Also, as you might expect, new developments in wastemanagement-efficiency is yet another important topic that we have covered here. Finally, I would like to thank everyone for their great news articles and for joining us in our on-going commitment to optimising sustainability. Sincerely,

Taking the lead in sustainability

Going Beyond Traceability

A quarter of the fish caught globally is done so illegally. Traceability is the first step to eliminate these practices.

Director Editor Writer Designer

Kevin Gambrill Philip Yorke Dominy Jones Dom Thorby

linkedin.com/company/ sustainable-packaging-news/

news_packaging

Philip Yorke ( Editor )

spnews.com SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

CONTENTS

Contents TOPICS

Carbon emissions 14 The icing on the cake 15 Decarbonising the supply chain Sustainability in FMCG 16 Sustainable Easter egg packaging 17 Would You Eat Your Cereal Box? 18 SP GROUP - Eco-design innovation 20 Elopak - Talking eSense 22 KHS packaging machines 24 TekniPlex - A holistic drive for change 26 Ecoveritas - A data-driven approach Bioplastics 27 The Bioplastics Revolution Challenge PAPER PACKAGING 30 Freezing-out plastic, freezing-in paper! 31 The arrival of the Eco-Tube 32 Smarties - Smart move

REGULAR FEATURES SUPPLY-CHAIN SLEUTHS

6 Bounce-back going forward

DIGITAL DIGEST

8 Going beyond traceability 10 Labelling technology comes of age

SPN SPIN DOCTORS

11 11

Pure, liquid gold Cleaning-up ‘Greenwashing’

20-20 VISION

12 The war in Ukraine and its impact

Recyclability 35 SPN recyclability conference 36 Gualapack - Evolution revolution 38 GoPlasticPallets 40 Evertis - A regenerative future Waste Reduction 42 A New waste management system 43 A New chemical recycling system 44 Intelligent AI sorting-solutions 45 Plastic recovery and recycling 47 Now upcycle polystyrene!

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Issue 1 Sep 2020

CONTENTS

17 27

Issue 1 Sep 2020

44 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

SUPPLY-CHAIN SLEUTHS

Supply-chain Sleuths

Bounce-back going forward With supply chains in turmoil around the world, the current crisis in logistics could spark the beginning of an even larger reorganisation of global commerce. This situation is now exacerbated due to the war in Ukraine, which is dramatically affecting global supply-chain stability.

“ China is currently manufacturing record volumes of shipping containers in response to shipping companies struggling to keep up with global demand for basic goods ”

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SUPPLY-CHAIN SLEUTHS

GlobalData recently reported that global food prices have reached their highest point since the 1970s (in real terms) which has given cause for concern to governments and corporations alike. However, the adjacent supply chain crisis, which is being touted as a reason for these price increases, is not so much a supply crisis as a logistics crisis.

“ global food prices have reached their highest point since the 1970s ” The current high demand for goods as the world bounces back from COVID-19 is being met in terms of production but cannot be accommodated with the existing logistics infrastructure. While governments are attempting to alleviate inflation where they can, until the logistics crisis is solved, prices will be difficult to keep down as demand outstrips supply, company profits fall and the market becomes less competitive. To illustrate the scale of the logistics problem, China is currently manufacturing record volumes of shipping containers in response to shipping companies struggling to keep up with global demand for basic goods. Three Chinese trade associations account for the production of up to 80% of the world’s containers and, according to the Financial Times, the country’s production has increased by two-thirds compared to 2020. There are fears that this increased supply of containers will not be enough. The backlog is already vast, and shipping bottlenecks are forming that are reminiscent of the blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given container ship earlier this year. Indeed, one of the worlds largest port operators, Maersk, warned in early September that the only way to ease the supply-chain crisis is for consumer demand to decline – effectively, for people to buy less. These are not the words goods manufacturers want to hear, as many companies struggle to recoup their COVID-related losses.

What does this mean for the future? UPS has warned that the supply chain crisis will “leave a permanent scar”. What the company is alluding to is the threat of lasting damage to the globalisation efforts of multinationals. If importing goods from overseas is no longer cost-effective – or logistically viable – then retailers will likely pivot to more local supply sources. More recently, there appears to be a growing understanding that having a supply chain that stretches the globe can leave companies open to undue risk, a risk that could be avoided by sourcing locally. Ultimately, if the current crisis continues, then a more thorough reorganising of global trade could be on the horizon; a reorganisation that sees multinationals embedded more at a local level, relying less on globalised logistics. Another mega-trend that intersects with these issues is environmentalist Companies are increasingly marketing their goods based on their carbon footprint and wider environmental impact. Localised supply chains will help companies to meet these targets while stepping away from the problems that currently plague global commerce. Globally, 16% of consumers say that how ethical or environmentally friendly a product is ‘always’ influences their choice, a further 26% say it ‘often’ does, and 34% say it ‘somewhat’ does. With only 24% stating it ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ influences them, brands could solve two problems with one solution by moving supply chains closer to distribution. The world order is certainly being challenged with the many tensions and threats due not only to the pandemic, but also to climate change and the on-going war in Ukraine. However, we can only hope that this will soon be concluded and that the resilience shown by packaging countries worldwide, will once again be harnessed to overcome the complex difficulties facing the industry today.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

DIGITAL DIGEST

Digital Digest

Going beyond traceability The Digimarc Corporation and Pacifical have been working together to achieve interoperability between their traceability systems through the use of communication protocols of the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) standard. When it is released, it will make them among the first in the world to pass the GDST Interoperability Capablility test.. Supply chains across all sectors are complex. Even though most suppliers make attempts to provide full traceability for products, the challenge for retailers is that each supply partner has different traceability reporting protocol. This is why a common language for traceability in retail is much needed.The GDST standard has been designed as a seafood-specific extension of the GS1 EPCIS, which offers uniformed vocabulary for interoperability across many product categories. The EPCIS is widely used by worldwide retailers and suppliers. The GDST standard enables trading partners to share information about the physical movement and status of seafood products as they travel throughout the supply chain – from business to business and, ultimately, to consumers.

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DIGITAL DIGEST

The GDST has just announced plans to release a new tool— the GDST Interoperability Capability Test—that will be able to test whether IT systems can achieve interoperability under the recently updated GDST 1.1 standards.

“ Roughly a quarter of the fish caught globally is done so illegally ” Roughly a quarter of the fish caught globally is done so illegally. Traceability is the first step to eliminate these practices.“Increasing the verifiability of seafood supply chains, enhancing traceability and facilitating compliance with government regulations on the legality of seafood products, is what the GDST is all about,” added Greg Brown, Executive Director of the GDST. The EVRYTHNG Product Cloud®, brought to you by Digimarc, is a leading provider of realtime digitized end-to-end value chain information, and Pacifical is the market developer and promoter of the Pacific Island nations and its sustainable tuna resource certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This initiative aims to demonstrate the technical ability to transmit all GDST Key Data Elements (KDEs) and Critical Tracking Events (CTEs). This ability could be extended to tuna buyers that are aiming to implement the GDST Standard and sourcing from the Western Pacific Island region.

Neri Labels enhances digital offering with first digital inkjet printer With the installation of a Screen Truepress L350 SAI E, Italian label specialist Neri Labels has enhanced its digital printing possibilities, adding a more competitive and flexible offering for short print runs in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and detergents. “The Screen Truepress L350 SAI E will become a cornerstone for the Neri Group,” says Chief Operating Officer Massimo Cungi. “This is our first printer with digital inkjet technology, and it will boost our effectiveness and flexibility in the growing digital market.” The machine’s speed is one of many reasons Neri Group chose the Screen Truepress L350 SAI E. “The machine has a print range of up to 330 mm, with speeds of up to 60 metres per minute. The time of changing and resetting the machine is zero, as there’s no need to clean the SAI in between two jobs,” says Cungi.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

DIGITAL DIGEST

Labelling technology comes of age Print-and-apply labelling specialist, Industrial Labelling Systems (ILS) is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2022. With its advanced digital technology and tailor-made solutions, the company has grown to become one of the UK’s leading suppliers of automatic print and apply labellers for a variety of industries including food and drink, pharmaceutical and healthcare, automotive, e-commerce and logistics. Its wide portfolio of products includes pallet labellers, outer case and tray labellers, large character inkjet marking, and barcode inspection and validation systems. In addition, the business manufactures a wide range of plain labels and print consumables to meet clients’ labelling needs from under one roof. From its original small office in Rochdale, ILS now operates from an 11,000sq ft facility in Middleton, near Manchester. As well as the company’s extensive UK customer base, which features leading names such as ASOS and Adidas, sales have extended across the world to Europe, the USA, South Africa and Australasia. Central to ILS’s success has been the ability to deliver customised solutions to meet the individual requirements of each client. Its fully integrated machines deliver a fast and reliable performance for every application and are designed to provide maximum safety and protection for users. In addition, all ILS machines are supported by a network of service engineers to ensure comprehensive after-sales back-up.

10 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

“ ILS has enjoyed great success with its FlexWipe pallet labelling system ” Alongside its wide range of machines, ILS’s in-house label manufacturing facility produces plain white label stock and LPN (license plate number) labels for the fashion industry. Together with the availability of consumables such as ink and thermal transfer ribbons, this provides a single-source supply for customers’ print and labelling requirements. Most recently ILS has enjoyed great success with its FlexWipe pallet labelling system, the first machine of its kind that is capable of operating in sub-zero temperatures down to -28oC as standard without the need for insulation or heating cabinet.

SPN SPIN DOCTORS

SPN Spin Doctors The latest Spin from SPN

Pure, liquid gold

Elopak’s Pure-Pak and Japan’s largest liquid packaging company, Nippon Paper Industries, have signed a major Oceanic licence. Nippon Paper, the largest liquid packaging producer in Japan, is concentrating its efforts in the field of paper packaging with the goal of improving consumers’ lives and helping the planet under the slogan “Pioneering the future together with trees.” Based on the slogan “What can be done with paper,” Nippon Paper is exploring the potential of packaging based on wood, a renewable resource, and offering a variety of proposals. Nippon Paper group is also one of the leading packaging companies in Oceania through its subsidiary business, Opal. Elopak, is a leading global supplier of carton packaging and filling equipment, it offers sustainable packaging solutions that provide a natural and convenient alternative to plastic bottles. This licensing agreement aligns with Elopak’s ambitions to meet the rising demand for sustainable packaging solutions by pursuing a growth strategy centred on investment in innovation; the pursuit of new business opportunities in existing and new markets across both fresh and aseptic markets; and driving the plastic to carton conversion.

The new license agreement will leverage the technological capabilities and innovation of both companies to pursue new business opportunities in the Oceania region, particularly in Australia and New Zealand where population growth and domestic demand are rising. It will also further promote the transition away from plastic towards more sustainable, low carbon packaging solutions for chilled liquid beverages. Elopak is a UN Global Compact participant with a platinum EcoVadis rating and has been carbon neutral since 2016. For more information, go to elopak.com

Cleaning-up ‘Greenwashing’ Packaging data specialist, ecoveritas, has shared its perspective on the consumer’s changing relationship to sustainability and believes an end to ‘the age of greenwashing’ is in sight for the retail sector. Greenwashing, where green claims are exaggerated, distorted or presented without context, has become a significant barrier to environmentally focused commerce. However, ecoveritas believes the combination of changing consumer attitudes and new legislation signals the next important evolution in modern business.

“ environmental claims have been somewhat of a wild west ” Global consumers are actively switched on to green issues and are looking to affect positive change how they can, and for most of us, that’s in our buying decisions. Greenwashing, however, has been a real challenge – environmental claims have been somewhat of a wild west, without unifying regulation”.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

20-20 VISION

20-20 Vision

The war in Ukraine its immediate impact

It is hard to imagine that such a thing could happen in the 21st century. It is even harder to contemplate the global repercussions it will inevitably have on almost every aspect of our lives. The paper industry’s Technical Association, PITA, recently published a clear and well-balanced overview of what it considers the fall-out from the war is likely to be. The full spectrum of medium and long-term consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the packaging sector is not yet entirely evident but is likely to be far-reaching. The war has already had an immediate impact on the industry by raising the prices of raw materials and affecting the way that businesses are able to operate. Various operations have been suspended in Ukraine and businesses are halting their production and sales in Russia, while others report continuing to monitor the situation before announcing their next steps. Meanwhile, crude oil, natural gas and naphtha prices have reached new highs, which has also been the case for aluminium.

Rising price of raw materials Oil and gas prices have skyrocketed as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, with the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS) reporting that in the past week, prices for crude oil reached highs that had not been seen for years. On Friday 4 March over a week since the day that Russia invaded Ukraine- prices were at $120/bbl for physical delivery of dated BFOE. Meanwhile on Monday 7 March, prices for natural gas in the northwest European market were driven close to more than an unprecedented 270 euros a megawatt-hour. Ajay Parmar, Senior Oil Market Analyst at ICIS, explained that a tight supply and demand dynamic had been driving crude oil prices up even before Vladimir Putin authorized the invasion in Ukraine. This precarious balance of supply and demand is the result of a forceful bounce-back in demand following the pandemic, which has been met by a supply incapable of keeping up.

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The crisis in Ukraine further drove up the price amid concerns regarding the exporting capability of Russia that exports 4.5 to 5 million barrels per day, around half of which goes to Europe. “The reason why it spiked further in the last few days is because even though there have not been any direct sanctions on Russia’s oil or gas production, there has already been a material decrease in Russia’s oil and gas exports,” Parmar said. According to Parmar, the only move can bring oil prices down in the immediate and near-term would be barrels from Iran. “That’s the only major factor that can really dent in the oil price right now,” Parmar explained, adding that a nuclear deal is more plausible now than it has been in the past. “It looks like that could come into the market fairly soon,” he said.

20-20 Vision

The prices of naphtha have also been driven up, in part reflecting the high prices of crude oil, but have continued to rise due to low inventories of the major petrochemical feedstock. “We have the lowest Amsterdam-RotterdamAntwerp (ARA) inventories of naphtha that we’ve seen since 2016, it’s extremely low,” Parmar commented. Ethylene, which is closely linked to naphtha, has also seen price rises. According to ICIS, 60% of the demand for ethylene globally comes from polyethylene. The ethylene contract that is set at the beginning of the month in Europe was up by 95 euros per tonne, explained Lorenzo Meazza, senior analyst at ICIS, adding that polyethylene prices may rise above this baseline. “The impact on prices is evident, and we are going to see higher prices for sure,” he said. “In the very short-term, higher prices for polyethylene are a possible consequence, linked also to a lot of issues regarding demand because, anyway, higher energy costs, higher production costs, may also affect demand in Europe.” Meazza went on to add that in the past years, Russia has increased its exports of polyethylene- primarily HDPE- to Europe. This is also likely to be halted, he notes, which may impact feedstock prices in the short-term. However, this should not be a problem in the long-term since European buyers can find alternative sources from the US and the Middle East.In addition, on Tuesday 1 March, Reuters reported that aluminium prices were on an upwards trajectory as the financial sanctions imposed on Russia caused anxiety over the supply from Russian aluminium producer Rusalthe largest producer outside China. According to Reuters, aluminium reached a record high of $4,073.50 a tonne.

The industry’s response Messe Düsseldorf Group has suspended business in Russia (including activities of the subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf Moscow) as a direct consequence of the invasion of Ukraine. This has also been done by the Norwegian carton company Elopak, which has halted activities in Russia and temporarily shut down its plant in Ukraine, noting that it will continue paying the salaries of the affected employees. Stora Enso also ceased production and sales as well as exports from Russia. The company employs around 1,100 people in its three corrugated packaging plants and two wood product sawmills in the country. It notes that a “mitigation plan” has been put in place to ensure that it can attain input materials. Mondi said that is continues to follow the situation in Ukraine and the international response to monitor the effect this will have for the Group.

Mondi’s operations in Russia- which make up 12% of the Group’s revenue by location of production- remain active. This includes a mill in Syktyvkar in the Komi Republic. On the other hand, Mondi reports that production is suspended in its paper bag plant located in Lviv in the west of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Tarsus Group announced that the LABELEXPO Europe trade exhibition for the label and package printing industry has been rescheduled for 11-14 September 2023 due to the supply chain issues that it says have been further intensified by the invasion. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in Ukraine published a personal appeal to those involved in FSC certification. The Director of FSC Ukraine encouraged stakeholders to act and take a stance against what he called “the violation of the integrity of the whole region and FSC values”. FSC said that it “will take all possible measures within our organization’s scope to safeguard FSC’s values and seek ways to effectively address the challenges on the short and long term.” The organisation also said it is currently reviewing the situation and is expected to make a statement focused on the protection of forests, first about Ukraine in the following days and then about Russia in the next weeks.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Carbon emissions

The icing on the cake

A new bakery packaging concept by a 100 year old company, Viipurilainen Kotileipomo, has reduced its CO2 emissions by more than a third. The bakery is almost 100-years-old and produces pastries and artisan breads from local ingredients using traditional skills. When the bakery was looking for a new solution for its cake packaging, its key criteria was to reduce the environmental footprint of the packaging, and to make assembly both quick and easy. Viipurilainen Kotileipomo and Metsä Board’s packaging design team based at Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre, jointly developed resource-efficient and 100% recyclable bakery packaging. The new eye-catching result reduces material requirements by 25%, and carbon dioxide emissions by 34% compared to the previous packaging. At the same time, the bakery was able to reduce its use of plastic by moving away from a PE-coated board. In addition to the environmental benefits, the design of the new bakery box makes it quicker and easier to assemble. “Packaging sustainability is important to us and our customers, and it’s great to be able to spread the word about reducing plastic and promoting recycling. The whole product development process was carried out in a structured way at the Excellence Centre and the new stylish packaging was quickly brought to market,” says Teppo Ylä-Hemmilä, Bread Artist and Innovation Director, Viipurilainen Kotileipomo.

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“The new concept is an excellent example of innovative solutions made possible by joint brainstorming. In designing the packaging, we used a virtual model at our Excellence Centre to quickly and accurately visualise the material, structure and its sustainability,” says Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director, EMEA and APAC, Metsä Board.

“ The new concept is an excellent example of innovative solutions ” The bakery packaging is made of lightweight MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB, a dispersion coated barrier board, which can be recycled using paper or paperboard collection waste streams. The MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB board is thick and resistant to grease, which is key for food that naturally have a high fat content such as pastries and cakes.

Carbon emissions

Carbon Compensation as a Packaging Service? Botta Packaging, Italy, are taking their sustainability services one step further. In addition to offering top quality sustainable packaging options they are now going to ensure their customers can truly minimise their environmental impact by offering carbon-offsetting as a service. Botta are known for helping their customers achieve their sustainability goals by providing innovative sustainable packaging solutions. Despite this, Botta recognise there was more they could do. Their challenge was that most of their packaging was already low impact. Corrugated cardboard boxes and paper-based packaging come from sustainable sources. They can be recycled numerous times and even be made out of recycled materials, making them a valuable part of the circular economy. So where else could Botta help customers make impact reductions?

Decarbonising the packaging supply chain When the UK played host to COP26 in October last year, over 40 governments signed up to ‘the Glasgow Breakthroughs’ – a series of commitments to speed up the development of clean technologies to help achieve key climate targets by 2030. These commitments made decarbonising industry everyone’s business – from the smallest supply chain company to the largest contractor. A combination of legal directives and customer pressure are quickly moving sustainability up the procurement agenda and every supplier is expected to have a sustainability roadmap. This lays out not only what the company itself is doing to improve its environmental performance, but also how that plays a part in helping customers achieve their sustainability goals. At the heart of each roadmap lies a commitment to identifying and reducing CO2 emissions, including emissions resulting from the organisation’s own operations, as well as its upstream and downstream activities. This means companies are now interdependent across supply chains when it comes to achieving the industry’s Net Zero goals. Reducing carbon emissions to Net Zero is a real challenge for the packaging industry, not least because of its diverse product mix (each with different carbon intensities and spread across different geographies).

Courtesy BetaDen North Cleantech / Linda Smith

Many companies are already exploring the ‘quick wins’ – from switching away from single use plastics to making greater use of recycled and lower carbon materials – but while existing solutions will take companies some way along the road, delivering reductions at the scale required to drive emissions to zero means more innovative Cleantech solutions are required. (Extracts from a post by Linda Smith of Cleantech)

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Sustainability in FMCG

Mars Wrigley

More Wriggle room

Mars Wrigley UK’s Easter Egg portfolio is now 97% plastic free as a result of a142-tonne reduction in packaging across its Easter Egg production and a 6-tonne reduction in plastic at Easter. The latest move from the business means that 97% of its Easter Egg portfolio in the UK is now plastic free. During the past few years, the company has been on a significant packaging reduction journey to make Easter packaging more sustainable. In 2020, it announced its first move to remove the plastic trays from Large Eggs, accounting for a 270-tonnes plastic reduction, a significant amount of the seasonal range’s plastic output. This was followed by 86 tonnes of plastic removed from its XL Eggs and Giant Eggs portfolio in 2021 – resulting in a total 504 tonnes of packaging and plastic reduced over the past three years. Adam Grant, General Manager, Mars Wrigley UK, told SPN, “In the world we want tomorrow, the planet is healthy – which is why we’re taking meaningful action to redesign our packaging portfolio to make it more sustainable. Today’s announcement that 97% of our Easter Egg portfolio in the UK is now plastic free, after the removal of hundreds of tonnes of plastic since 2020, represents our commitment to creating a more sustainable tomorrow and our efforts won’t stop here.”

“ our efforts won’t stop here ” Redesigning - for a circular economy By redesigning the packaging that Mars Wrigley UK uses to protect delicate Easter eggs as they are transported to shops and into hands across the nation, the business has been able to take another step forward towards Mars Incorporated’s global goal to develop packaging that is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable. These efforts are part of Mars’ commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its full value chain by 2050. The company has already taken tangible action towards this goal, with all Mars bars sold in the UK, Ireland, and Canada to be certified as carbon neutral by 2023. The business will work with an independent auditor to certify the Mars bar as carbon neutral and will be adhering to the PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality, which provides radical transparency and is widely considered to be the leading standard of carbon neutral specification.

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Sustainability in FMCG

Would You Eat Your Cereal Box? New global study reveals that consumers are open to edible packaging! A broad study in seven large markets across the world, has revealed how far people are prepared to go – or not to go – to support sustainable products. Brand insights agency Nepa asked over 5600 consumers what they wished they would find on the shelves in ten years’ time, revealing new opportunities for the packaging industry. Although people in the UK aren’t willing to make long-term changes when it comes to their diet – only 36% wish to see vegan alternatives outselling meat – innovative trends in the packaging industry are welcomed with enthusiasm. Whether made from rice flour, wheat or sorghum, people are ready to eat their boxes for a more sustainable future. It’s a thumbs up from all markets, with 53% of people globally wishing to see edible packaging on the supermarket shelves. The countries most in favour are India and China with over 70% of positive respondents. Also saying yes are 55% of people in Brazil, 47% in Germany and 44% in the UK.

“ Whether made from rice flour, wheat or sorghum, people are ready to eat their boxes for a more sustainable future”

Amcor launches LifeSpan® Performance Paper in Europe The company has launched a high-barrier, recyclable paper-based packaging for snacks, confectionery and more. It is the first new product to launch on the company’s global AmFiber™ platform and meets the growing consumer desire for recyclable paper-based packaging. Recycling tests show that over 80% of the content is recovered in the recycling process, making it recyclable in most of the world’s paper streams. In addition, as it is FSC®-certified and PVDC-free, it meets best practice for more sustainable paper packaging.

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, today introduced LifeSpan® Performance Paper in Europe, the first new product to launch on its global AmFiber™ platform. LifeSpan® Performance Paper is a high-barrier, grease resistant paper-based solution for the snacks and confectionery market. With more than 80% paper fibre content and PVDC-free, this latest material innovation from Amcor is recyclable across most European countries and allows brands to respond to growing consumer requests for paper-based packaging. For more information visit: www.amcor.com

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Sustainability in FMCG

SP GROUP

Where eco-design meets innovation Another success story from the SP Group is its sweet success story concerning its latest sustainable solutions for the confectionary industry. The company supplies flexible thermoforming packaging solutions where eco-design, innovation and customisation play a major role. One of the biggest challenges in the food industry, particularly for suppliers of sweet goods and snacks, is to optimise their sustainable packaging and minimise waste. 18 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Sustainability in FMCG

This is not just a trend at the SP Group. Since its 2009 launch of SOL film, a high-barrier product with many environmental advantages, there has been continued progress in packaging sustainability optimisation. As innovative pioneers in sustainable packaging, the SPGroup, has been able to provide its clients with functional and sustainable packaging tailormade to their specifications. Two of which are leading confectionary brands in the area of mono-materials. PE HB ECO is a recyclable mono-material with high-barrier properties, that can preserve products in optimum condition until they are consumed. In addition, PP HB ECO packaging can also withstand high temperatures during heat treatment processes. This material has the necessary properties to guarantee optimum food preservation, particularly in products with a neutral pH that require extra protection.

Broader sustainability options In the world of confectionery, however, there is more than just a demand for flexible packaging solutions. Rigid packaging is particularly important when it comes to food presentationtrays of all shapes and sizes. The SP Group’s solutions ensure that packaged goods are not damaged in any way and reach consumers in the best possible condition. In cases such as these, the company opts for rPET packaging. This is a thermoforming film that is made using 100% recycled postconsumer materials, and which is itself 100% recyclable. In conjunction with the SOL EFFICIENT top film, this sustainable solution is the most environmentally-friendly choice for packaging confectionery goods.

“ the most environmentally-friendly choice for packaging confectionery goods ” Designing for sustainability Design plays a vital a part in sustainable packaging. Nowadays, packaging is a singular and customisable advertising channel and a key point of differentiation when displayed on supermarket shelves. To enhance this benefit, the SP GROUP has come up with a very precise proposal: printed material that is produced using digital and offset printing techniques that are environmentally-friendly and deliver optimum results. The company also offers customised formats such as standup packaging options, where versatility makes it a particularly popular choice. This packaging includes closures such as the zip-lock, which consumers can use to reseal bags and store food for consumption at a later date. In short, SP GROUP supplies all flexible and thermoforming packaging solutions for a sector in which eco-design, innovation and customisation all play a key role. For further details visit: www.spg-pack.com

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

ELOPAK

Elopak

Talking eSense

How Elopak Is Bringing Greater Sustainability To The Aseptic Market For food in the aseptic market, Elopak cartons offer several distinct sustainability advantages over plastic bottles and other packaging formats. Chiefly they benefit from being mostly made from paperboard, which, when sustainably sourced, is a naturally renewable resource. Pure-Pak® cartons also have a lower carbon footprint than plastic bottles and are fully recyclable where proper collection and recycling systems are in place. However, traditionally the use of aluminium in aseptic cartons has resulted in a higher carbon footprint than their fresh counterparts, due to the energy intensive processes needed to extract and refine the metal. Aluminium is also a finite resource, which does not replenish over time – unlike paper.

“ the Pure-Pak® eSense carton unlocks the potential to be fully renewable. It is also better optimized for recycling ” At Elopak, we have invested to deliver a solution that ensures the packaging of aseptic products can be as sustainable as for those in the fresh segment. The result is the Pure-Pak® eSense carton: a more environmentally friendly aseptic carton made without an aluminium layer. Using technology from our fresh portfolio, we replaced the aluminium in the Pure-Pak® eSense carton with a polyolefin blend barrier. This results in a carton with an up to 50% lower carbon footprint compared to a standard aseptic carton, while still maintaining full recyclability. Without an aluminium layer, the Pure-Pak® eSense carton unlocks the potential to be fully renewable. It is also better optimized for recycling since there is one less layer to remove in the recycling process. This falls in line with Elopak’s ambitions to promote a net zero circular economy for packaging: driving the transition from plastic bottles to fully renewable, low carbon cartons. It also makes sense for our aseptic customers, many of whom produce environmentally friendly products and want a packaging option that supports their ethos.

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The Pure-Pak® eSense carton is available in a range of sizes and with various environmental features, including the option for a closure and coating made from polyethylene based on feedstocks from second generation renewable resources. As with all Elopak cartons, it’s available in a carbon neutral version, whereby the carton’s remaining emissions are offset through Elopak’s verified CarbonNeutral® packaging program. Although no longer containing an aluminium layer, the Pure-Pak® eSense carton remains as rigid and convenient as a conventional aseptic carton, ensuring that the product inside stays fresh. It also has easy-folding crease lines, which are designed to help consumers empty all the product inside before folding the carton for more convenient recycling, as well as reducing food waste. Nowadays, consumers are always looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprint – without having to compromise on quality. By rolling out the Pure-Pak® eSense carton, Elopak offers its customers more sustainable packaging for a wider range of products, while still playing a vital role in protecting food and minimising waste.

Bottles V Cartons

No aluminium Easy recycling

Pure-Pak® eSense - an aluminium-free carton made with sustainably sourced paperboard and an innovative polyolefin barrier. It unlocks the potential of a fully renewable aseptic carton and reduce the carbon footprint with up to 50%*

Highest renewable content*

Lighter*

Reduced emissions*

Designed for optimized recycling

Lowest plastic content*

Only PE-based polyolefin

*Compared with a standard Pure-Pak® aseptic carton and based on internal, third-party reviewed cradle-to-gate calculations from the Dynamic Elopak Environmental Performance (DEEP) tool, version 11.

www.elopak.com SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

KHS

Paper wrapper: simple retrofits on existing KHS packaging machines Simple conversion for great flexibility: the new packaging alternative from KHS, that wraps beverage cans in paper instead of film, can also be retrofitted to existing Innopack machines manufactured by the Dortmund systems supplier. Customers can either opt for more flexibility by switching between film and paper packaging as required or permanently switch to paper.

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KHS

Since 2020 KHS has provided a facility on its packaging machines for wrapping beverage cans in paper. In order to give customers maximum flexibility, the new function has been integrated into a combined machine: whether wraparound packs, packs on trays or pads with or without film or paper wrappers, the new system solution can process a broad range of secondary packaging. Paper may be a relatively new packaging material on the beverage market; especially as an alternative to plastic, however, this material is increasingly capturing beverage fillers’ interest. The paper wrapper meets consumer demand for alternative, environmentally-friendly packaging material. As not every beverage producer wishes to install a completely new machine, however, the paper wrapping unit is now also available as a conversion option. This means that bottling companies can quickly and easily react to marketing trends and consumer demands using existing Innopack packaging machines.

Replacement or addition KHS provides two retrofit options. If paper wrappers are to permanently replace shrink film as a secondary packaging, all that needs to be done is to substitute two modules; the machine layout can stay practically the same. Here, the former film wrapping module is replaced by the newly developed module that can process paper. The shrink tunnel is also substituted by a module that folds and glues the paper. Beverage producers who do not wish to compromise on flexibility when it comes to secondary packaging can retrofit the new KHS packaging system as an additional option on their existing machine. In this case, the paper wrapping unit is adapted and the paper folding and gluing module is installed on the machine as an extra.

Simple switch Once the modules have been fitted, switching materials calls for no other conversion except the standard format changeovers. As soon as the packaging materials have been changed over and the hot melt devices are ready for operation, production can begin. “Conversion is a simple matter on all machine types in the Advanced series,” claims Uwe Bartholemy, head of Technical Support for Packaging at the KHS Service Division. This is chiefly facilitated by the modular design of KHS’ Innopack machinery. Then a quantum leap for the industry on its launch in 2000, this plant engineering has long established itself as a standard. “Generally speaking, we can also convert older machines in this way. Here, we carefully examine each individual case to check whether the control unit needs an update or not, for example.”

Technically straightforward From a technical viewpoint, on KHS Innopack packaging machines with a shrink tunnel only the existing film wrapping module has to be replaced by the further developed module for paper wrapping. This can then process both materials. Packers without a film wrapping module have the new module installed as an extension. As opposed to the former machine segment, this now also has a gluing station that sticks the paper together beneath the pack. The packers also require a paper folding and gluing module – either as an addition or a replacement of the shrink tunnel – where the packs are closed. Costs for conversion are much lower than those for investment in a new machine.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Sustainability in FMCG

TekniPlex

A holistic drive for change When SPN invited TekniPlex to answer some searching questions about its drive for sustainability towards a circular economy, some of the answers were unexpected, yet very refreshing, as Philip Yorke discovered.

How ‘sustainability-aware’ would you say your company is and what recent measures have you taken to improve your overall contribution to the circular economy? TekniPlex promotes sustainability by minimising resources while maximising product protection. Most recently we’ve adopted “Sustainability A Holistic drive for change,” a holistic approach that also considers product safety, brand protection, ecommerce, food freshness, and patient care, etc.

In relation to sustainability, what would you say have been your most important milestones? Among our key competitive advantages is a comprehensive material science portfolio spanning plastics, rubber, aluminum, and other renewables. Recently, we’ve made significant acquisitions to expand our bio-based and compostable solutions such as paper and molded fiber.

“ we’ve made significant acquisitions to expand our bio-based and compostable solution ” In your opinion what have been the most significant developments in terms of recycling and bio-degradable packaging? There have been significant strides, such as advanced recycling processes that can bring many materials to their original state, providing mechanical and technical performance as good as virgin material. Increasing recyclability is key to realizing a truly circular economy.

What do you consider to be the most promising market opportunities for your company at this time? Opportunities relevant to sustainability touch nearly every market TekniPlex serves. Examples in the consumer products sector include 100% recycled PET egg cartons, bio-based PLA solutions, biodegradable molded fiber trays, and kraft paper cups and containers.

24 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Sustainability in FMCG

What are the key drivers for change in your industry sector and how much is the on-going pressure for greater sustainability and recycling affecting your productivity? Sustainability involves not only our business but the health and prosperity of our planet. While implementing sustainable initiatives sometimes makes manufacturing more cumbersome, in the long run they are key to our business – and, of course, the right thing to do.

As we are keen to understand more about the latest trends shaping the packaging industry in your sector, what do you consider to be the most significant recent developments? One trend is the push-pull of protecting all-natural “clean” foods with brand-appropriate sustainable packaging. Using material science, how do we maintain freshness for health and eco-conscious foods without sacrificing their sustainable appeal via packaging?

Can you describe your product portfolio and its sustainability credentials? TekniPlex has an exceptionally wide materials and substrates portfolio that has increasingly allowed us to be “materials agnostic” to best suit specific customer needs. These include (but aren’t limited to) FPS, PET, PP, PE, EVOH, rubber, aluminum, paper & molded fiber. Are you planning the launch of any new products in the foreseeable future that you can tell us about? TekniPlex is constantly introducing new products and will continue to do so as we consistently strive to minimize resource usage, maximize recyclable materials and prioritize circular economy solutions – without sacrificing product protection or patient health.

“ TekniPlex is constantly introducing new products and will continue to do so as we consistently strive to minimize resource usage ” How has the Covid 19 pandemic affected your production and manufacturing capabilities? The COVID crisis caused everyone headaches, but we’re proud of our ability to adapt. Among other initiatives, we enhanced plant safety, and quickly pivoted to address the understandably increased demand for clean, safe singleserve packaging solutions. Anyone reading will no doubt be impressed by the diversity and breadth of the company’s portfolio and its equally diverse range of carefully tailored sustainable solutions.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Sustainability in FMCG

Ecoveritas

A data-driven approach

Packaging data specialist, ecoveritas, shares its perspective on the FMCG sector and the consumer’s changing relationship with sustainability. Contributed by Andrew McCaffery, EPR Director, ecoveritas

Andrew McCaffery, EPR Director at ecoveritas, told SPN: “When we look back at the history of the retail industry, we recognise key landmarks such as the first cash registers, the age of advertising and more recently, the rise of online retail. Sustainability has the potential to be just as impactful. Global consumers are actively switched on to green issues and are looking to affect positive change how they can, and for most of us, that’s in our buying decisions. The FMCG sector, across both traditional brick and mortar and e-commerce platforms, is one of the most innovative categories found anywhere, when it comes to creating sustainable supply chains. With carbon reduction and more effective use of plastics at the top of the agenda, brands are truly understanding that sustainability is moving far beyond buzzword or marketing jargon – it’s consumer-driven.

We are going through a period of extreme change – new schemes and legislative programmes are unfolding concurrently, which can understandably cause a great deal of confusion for brand owners and their supply chains. We are seeing the direct introduction of changes such as the UK Plastic Packaging Tax and Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and further afield to the EU Packaging Levy, as well as further guidance on how sustainability is communicated in the form of the UK Competition & Market Authority’s Green Claims Code. However, for many FMCG brands, the very top of the legislative agenda is Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR. This is the policy through which ‘producers’, those businesses that manufacture or commission products and packaging, are given physical or financial responsibility for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.

New EPR regulations With new EPR regulations, the cost of collecting household waste will be returned, at least in part, to the brand. Notably, however, the rollout has been postponed to 2024, a year later than planned. At the same time, the UK Government has thoroughly softened the edges of the scheme, seeming to take a much more cautious approach than was previously posited.

26 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Andrew McCaffery,

EPR Director, ecoveritas

Our position at ecoveritas is that by retaining Packaging Waste Recovery Notes (PRN) but also introducing a system of top up fees, we must be cautious of increasing cost to the FMCG industry and its packaging partners without significantly increasing recycling levels – otherwise, what is the end game of EPR? There is significant evidence that suggests increased recycling rates are as a result of government investment in waste infrastructure, so we must be careful that we are not focussing too much on the wrong areas for long-term change, sufficient funding has to be guaranteed to go to collection or recycling growth could stall. At ecoveritas, we use our data-driven approach to sustainability to support brands of every size with all areas of compliance, legislation and reporting. We see a very valuable role for PRNs in the evidencing of recycling, but we feel it must be fixed or capped to ensure a fair balance distribution to the collectors and fixing the costs to FMCG industry.”

Bioplastics

The Bioplastics Revolution Challenge An advantage of bioplastics is their independence from fossil fuel as a raw material, which is a finite and globally unevenly distributed resource. It is also linked to petroleum politics and has a negative environmental impact. Life-cycle analysis studies show that some bioplastics can be made with a lower Carbon footprint than their fossil counterparts, however, other bioplastics’ processes are less efficient and result in a higher carbon footprint than fossil plastics. Although bioplastics are advantageous because they reduce non-renewable consumption and GHG emissions, they also negatively affect the environment through their land and water consumption. This is in addition to their use of pesticides and fertilisers, eutrophication and acidification. Ashish Chitalia, head of polyolefins at the energy and petrochemicals consultancy and research organisation, Wood MacKenzie, explains: “The challenges faced by bioplastics, in the first place are the economic considerations. Actually, it’s pretty expensive to produce bioplastics when compared to petrochemicals. Yet another thing is that it competes directly with agricultural resources for food, where you are competing for land-use with sugar, corn and wheat,” he said.

“ it’s pretty expensive to produce bioplastics when compared to petrochemicals ” Keeping fresh for longer Both the NTU & Harvard scientists have developed biodegradable food packaging that can keep strawberries fresh for longer. This new material can also help to reduce food and plastic waste. The biodegradable food packaging’s main ingredient is zein. This is produced from corn gluten meal, which is a waste by-product from corn starch or oils that are used in ethanol production. Corn Ethanol is the type of biofuel that is commonly used with gasoline to power engines in the United States. The food packaging is made by electrospinning, which is an industrial method using electrical force to produce zein fibres. These are natural antimicrobial compounds combined with cellulose, a natural polymer starch that makes up plant cell walls, and acetic acid. The result is a fully waterproof and antimicrobial material.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Bioplastics

Plant based packaging unveiled In line with its goal to transition to 100% recycled and plant-based PET bottles by 2030, the Suntory Group recently unveiled a prototype PET bottle made from 100% plantbased materials. The prototype bottle was developed in collaboration with US-based Anellotech for Suntory’s Orangina and Tennensui soft drinks brands in the European and Japanese markets. Given Suntory’s claims that its plant-based bottle overcomes several issues associated with bioplastics, it represents a step forward for the beverages industry towards the holy grail of biodegradable packaging, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Bobby Verghese, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, commented “Compostable/biodegradable plastics are presently a lower priority than recyclable packaging for Japanese consumers, as validated by GlobalData’s Q3 2021 consumer survey. Only 30% of Japanese respondents in the survey consider compostable/biodegradable plastics an important factor in a product, when compared with 63% of respondents who prioritise easy-to-recycle products. Verghese added, “This is partly because consumers are disillusioned by earlier plant-based packaging innovations such as Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle, which failed to take off after the initial hype due to functional and cost challenges. Also, a large section of consumers remain unsure how the biodegradable bottles will safeguard its contents.” While bioplastics are touted as the penultimate solution for the plastic waste problem, most products have failed to match the performance of conventional oil-based plastics.

28 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Additionally, the cost of raw materials and overhauling existing manufacturing lines to accommodate bioplastics remain quite prohibitive. Moreover, bioplastics degrade only under specific ambient conditions, thereby posing an environmental threat. Suntory claims its bioplastic material is made from two compounds, namely PTA and MEG, which are made from non-food biomass and non-food-grade feedstock, which minimises its impact on the food chain. The plant-based bottle is claimed to generate far lower carbon emissions than petroleum-derived plastic bottles. It would appear that the plant-based bottle is evolving fast to become a major player in the biodegradable packaging sector. Watch this space for further developments. The food industry is one of the sectors that benefited the most from the developments in plastics in the past century. Just as refrigeration revolutionised preservation of food for consumers, plastic packaging reshaped product possibilities and food distribution. Plastics provided an effective, massproducible means of extending the shelf life of products by protecting them from oxidation, microbial growth and some damage during transportation. Coffee pods or capsules are sealed small containers filled with ground coffee. Although convenient, the environmental impact of lots of individual pods can quickly add up. Whilst most coffee pods were originally plastic or aluminium (not always easy to recycle), and utilise 3g of packaging per 6g of product, there are now a range of eco-friendly pods that are compostable, biodegradable and easier to recycle.

Bioplastics

Cologne-based company BIO-FED, a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC, is an expert in the developing and producing biodegradable and/or biobased compounds under the brand name M·VERA®. This grade range consists of biodegradable compounds, most of them are also partially to fully biobased. M∙VERA® GP1045. was specially designed for injection moulding applications, consists of renewable raw materials and is home compostable. It is particularly suitable for applications requiring medium stiffness (tensile modulus 2,000 MPa) and can therefore be used for a wide range of household articles, packaging, coffee capsules, etc. This compound consists of almost 100 % renewable raw materials and, according to the company, is ideally suited for the production of rigid objects. “We are pleased to be able to offer our customers an ever broader portfolio, with products they can easily integrate into their existing production processes. This makes it possible to switch to more environmentally-friendly materials,” says Stanislaw Haftka, Sales Director at BIO-FED.

“ We are pleased to be able to offer our customers an ever broader portfolio ” Biome Technologies has announced that Biome Bioplastics, its bioplastics division has received an order worth US$550,000 from an existing major client operating in the United States packaging market. This order, which provides support for the division’s financial expectations for this year, is the largest single order to date for Biome’s heat-stable and compostable bioplastic for coffee pod applications, which was first commercialised in 2019. Deliveries under this order are due to be completed in the next two months. This new material takes less than three months to compost in industrial composting environments and is designed to provide the structure for coffee pods, whilst preventing deformation when exposed to hot water brewing conditions. It was developed in the division’s R&D facility in Southampton, UK and is now being manufactured in the United States on a regular production basis in commercial quantities. Paul Mines, CEO of Biome Technologies plc, commented “We believe that there is significant commercial potential for this coffee pod material, as brands in the hot beverage sector move to bio-based and compostable solutions to transform the sustainability of their products.”

“ Waste is a serious issue for the coffee pod industry ” Waste is a serious issue for the coffee pod industry, which is now searching for alternatives to combat this waste inefficiency as well as increase resource efficiency and effectiveness.

Results from a study by revealed that the recyclable aluminium format of a coffee pod has the largest probable negative environmental effects. The plastic and aluminium composite structure of a generic pod is often unable to be recycled in most community and industrial recycling plants due to the challenges posed by the pod being a mixture of different plastics. This non-recyclable packaging property may act as a hindrance to the growth of the global market for coffee Pods. Although there are recyclable pods available in the market, they have been scrutinised and criticised for the low rate at which they are being recycled. Tones of coffee pods are still ending up in landfills or being incinerated on a global scale. Even considering this criticism, there is still a drive towards increasing profitability in the global marketing and sales of coffee pods rather than a focus on responsible production. The current use by the coffee production chain of environmentally detrimental packaging has raised questions amongst consumers regarding the ethics of the supply chain as well as the production of coffee. This offers the industry an opportunity to move towards a more circular business model that reduces the environmental impact of the pod-style coffee system by producing and using biobased polymers that are biodegradable and hence compostable.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

PAPER PACKAGING

Freezing-out plastic, freezing-in paper!

Today Iceland is freezing out its use of unnecessary plastic with the launch of special paper packaging from Mondi. As a global leader in packaging and paper, Mondi has teamed up with the UK’s number 1 frozen food retailer to provide renewable, recyclable packaging in a move that further validates Mondi’s approach of using “paper where possible, plastic when useful”. Iceland is replacing its previous packaging with Mondi’s versatile functional barrier paper across a number of its ranges. The first newly packaged product to hit the shelves earlier this month was the retailer’s frozen chicken dippers, which reduces the amount of plastic used per year by 80%.

Stuart Lendrum, Head of Packaging, Quality and Food Safety at Iceland added: “We’ve been bold in our aims to remove plastic: we were the first UK retailer to publish our plastic footprint along with our pledge to ultimately become plastic free.

More versatile, functional, barrier paper

To deliver on this “Doing it Right” promise, we knew we would need the expertise of global packaging suppliers like Mondi. Their collaborative EcoSolutions approach meant that our teams worked together to consider all elements of the product manufacturing and delivery journey. We now have a sustainable solution that is efficient to use, protects the products and meets the expectations of our customers.”

The functional barrier paper is made from renewable resources with Mondi managing the paper production and coating in-house, providing a fully integrated solution. It is easy for consumers to recycle the paper in existing waste streams and as paper is the most widely recycled material in the world – 74% of paper and 83% of paper-based packaging in Europe are recycled – the solution ensures that the paper can be recycled at the end of its life, contributing to a circular economy.

30 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Importantly, Mondi’s functional barrier paper offers complete product protection, ensuring the product has the same shelf life as it did with its previous packaging.

PAPER PACKAGING

Thanks to the high stiffness of the paper, the packaging is puncture resistant and ensures an efficient filling process that runs seamlessly on existing machinery.

“ When it comes to packaging and the environment, Iceland has always held a reputation for setting new standards, as well as being innovative ” Image courtesy of The Grocer

Falk Paulsen, Sales & Business Development Director Extrusion Solutions, Mondi says: “Iceland has set out ambitious sustainability targets and has already made great strides in reducing plastic packaging. Some products need more specialised solutions to ensure consumers get safe, high-quality food. Mondi’s functional barrier paper uses a wafer-thin coating that provides all the necessary barriers to keep food fresh and can still be recycled. It is a pleasure to be working with Iceland on their range of frozen food products.” Iceland aims to be the first UK supermarket to become plastic neutral, adapting to paper packaging wherever possible and offsetting its remaining plastic footprint by recovering and recycling environmental and nature-bound waste plastic. By working with Mondi, Iceland has benefitted from the packaging specialist’s EcoSolutions approach to work closely together to ask the right questions and develop the most sustainable packaging solutions. When it comes to packaging and the environment, Iceland has always held a reputation for setting new standards, as well as being innovative and cost-conscious in the process. SPN congratulates both Mondi and Iceland on their collaboration to reduce Iceland’s plastic packaging content by more than 80%.

The arrival of the Eco-Tube The Smurfit Kappa Composites team have announced the launch of a fully Recyclable Paper-Tube Packaging Solution for Premium Drinks called the‘EcoTube’. The company recently developed this revolutionary product, which provides a more sustainable paper-tube packaging solution and allows the traditional paper tube to be 100% recyclable within normal consumer recycling schemes.

“ companies don’t have to choose between quality and sustainability ” The new Eco-Tube solution means that premium spirit packaging can now be fully recyclable, so companies don’t have to choose between quality and sustainability. It is widely recognised that paper tube packaging, particularly in the drinks industry, offers many benefits such as on-shelf disruption. Now, this can all be achieved with recyclable packaging. The Smurfit Kappa Composites team recently completed this project for the Clydeside Distillery, which was the first ever fully branded, 100% recyclable drinks packaging solution launched for the whisky market.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

PAPER PACKAGING

Smart move Nestlé Oceania and it’s popular Smarties confectionery range has been switched to recyclable paper packaging in Australia. While some Smarties packs sold in Australia are already in paper, the change sees all plastic packaging replaced with new recyclable paper packaging. The change is part of a global move, making Smarties the first global confectionery brand entirely sold in recyclable paper packaging, removing approximately 250 million plastic packs sold globally every year.

“ The change is part of a global move ”

While the Smarties range – including single serve cartons, share packs, bags and blocks – may look different on the outside, on the inside, fans will find the same Smarties they know and love, with no artificial colours or flavours, and made with 100% sustainable cocoa since 2013. Nestlé General Manager Confectionery Chris O’Donnell said: “Shifting Smarties packaging to recyclable paper is an important step in realising Nestlé’s ambition to reduce our use of virgin plastics by a third by 2025.”

Palpaple and Repulpable The global packaging company, DSM now offers re-workable and re-pulpable alternatives to conventional paperboard packaging. As a global, science-based company, it is active in health, nutrition and materials. DSM has announced its new portfolio of re-workable and re-pulpable barrier coating resins for the food and non-food packaging industries. At last, manufacturers have a sustainable alternative to traditional, less eco-friendly LDPE coatings. Today consumers are questioning the environmental credentials of the packaging they are handling, especially when it comes to food packaging. They are demanding to know if it is safe, sustainable and less wasteful. Also, the industry is wondering if packaging still have the functional properties to fulfil its long-term obligations. For paper and board mills, convertors and ink formulators, as well as brands and suppliers who are looking to reduce their use of difficult to recycle elements (such as PE laminates on paper), DSM is now offering them the opportunity to switch to more recyclable resins that are easy to formulate and use. At the same time DSM’s new portfolio is able to help lower the cost of production and scrapping compared to PE laminates – just one way DSM can deliver the outstanding performance that the industry demands. DSM’s dispersion coating resins are perfect for producers of paperboard packaging’ Especially for consumer foods producers, who want to continue delivering durable, highfunctioning and reliable primer coatings, inks and top coatings.

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The key benefits of this suite of products is that they all deliver high performance without the need for expensive retooling. Each has been designed to be easy to formulate and suitable for various applications and are resistant to water (Cobb), grease, oil while also being compliant in accordance with food contact regulations. At the end of their useful first life, packaging and stock coated with these resins can be easily repulped without the need for any extra processing.

MONTA

Monta

Eco-friendly adhesive tape with marketing benefit German tape manufacturer monta Klebebandwerk GmbH has developed a self-adhesive tape that is strong, eco-friendly and directly printable. Based on proven and sustainable technology The new tape is based on the same technology as monta biopack®, manufactured with a robust PLA film carrier made from corn starch, coated with a high-performance natural rubber adhesive, its raw materials are approximately 90% bio-based. Monta biopack® completely biodegrades under industrial composting conditions and meets the strict requirements on disintegration (composting), biodegradation, ecotoxicity and material characteristics of EN 13432, ASTM D 6400-04, AS 4736 (2006) and ISO 17088 (2012). Tested and confirmed by TÜV Austria with their OK COMPOST INDUSTRIAL conformity mark.

“ Monta biopack® completely biodegrades under industrial composting conditions ” Designed for anyone putting value on sustainability, this sustainable packaging tape, imprinted with a company logo or advertising slogan, safely transports goods with their marketing message to their destination. For more information go to www.monta.de/en/biopack-printable

New version directly printable The new version of this eco-friendly packaging tape - monta biopack® 860 DP - offers the added value of being directly printable: Users benefit from the possibility to integrate their corporate design into an individually designed adhesive tape as advertising medium, plus the certified sustainability of the tape: The transparent monta biopack® 860 DP is also OK COMPOST INDUSTRIAL certified by TÜV Austria!

Sustainable design Made in Germany Its robust PLA carrier, combined with its high-performance natural rubber adhesive, ensures long-lasting and reliable sealing of medium heavy to heavy cartons and offers minimal material usage as just one single layer of tape ensures a reliable carton closure. It is the perfect choice where a higher adhesive strength is required or where a more eco-friendly alternative to other conventional film tapes is preferred, while still allowing for an individual print design. monta biopack® 860 DP is also ideal for sealing biodegradable bags and films, and for bundling flowers. Like all other monta Greenline tapes monta biopack® 860 DP is carbon neutral; monta compensates all unavoidable CO2 emissions by investing in certified offset projects in collaboration with Climate Partner.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Pentalabel ® SmartCycle ®

Recyclable label film simplified!

Learn more

SmartCycle® is a label film that can be recycled directly with the PET bottle it is applied to.

Global leader in rigid films

Recyclability CONFERENCE

Your ‘green-letter’ diary date is the 19th May! Following the success of our Circular Economy Conference on the 27th January, SPN are very excited to be able to introduce you to our latest global recyclability conference! We have a World-class speaker line up for the event that includes : Jos Miermans Etheclo Christophe Dujardin and Christian Dollner Leonhard Kurz Silvia D’Alesio NUOVA ACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI, MILAN Mark Hirlam Delipac Josh Remi Ecoveritas James Asali Packgreen We would like to thank our sponsors to the event LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG and Dow. Without them this event would not be possible. We look forward to seeing you on the 19th May. You can access the conference via our homepage

www.spnews.com

You can also view the circular Economy conference that we held on 27th January at: www.spnews.com/circular-economy-conference/

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Gualapack

Evolution revolution

When it comes to evolving to meet the ever-changing demands of sustainability on the packaging industry, Gualapack has strived to evolve in a way that has revolutionised its ability to stay ahead of the field. SPN asked them some thought provoking questions about how they have managed to achieve this:

How ‘sustainability-aware’ would you say your company is and what recent measures have you taken to improve your overall contribution to the circular economy? As a plastic packaging converter, we have invested great focus and resources on the product portfolio. As we and our context evolve, we have learned how collaboration with the value chain can lead to huge benefits in terms of sustainability – covering new technologies to manage energy, end-of-life scenarios for our products, and new business models.

In relation to sustainability, what would you say have been your most important milestones? We decided at a strategic level to consider sustainability as a factor embedded into company activities, rather than an activity itself. This means that any milestones in sustainability correspond to milestones in Gualapack’s evolution. Issuing the Sustainability Report or creating a workplace safety manifesto are two examples of this.

“ Our product portfolio has always been in continuous evolution ” In your opinion what have been the most significant developments in terms of recycling and bio-degradable packaging? Our product portfolio has always been in continuous evolution: what has changed in the past few years are the drivers of development. Design for sustainability has enormously accelerated weight reduction, in terms of number of layers and their thickness. Recyclability was addressed with radical changes in raw materials and the converting process: the result is we launched a recyclable, flexible spouted pouch on the European market two years ago. As regards bio-degradable packaging, our know-how in raw materials and formulations enabled us to develop new coffee capsule lids and peelable lids for trays in this category.

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What do you consider to be the most promising market opportunities for your company at this time? Ease of use and convenience have always been important features for packaging. Today, this trend is hugely enhanced by the needs of the ageing population, stronger awareness for individuals’ mobility challenges, and consumers’ demand for products that are effortless and don’t require tools or explanations. Additionally, some companies are pushing ease of use to the next level and creating better experiences for customers either during the unboxing phase or when using the product: think ergonomic handles, non-slip plastic, even colour coding to make different products easier to identify.

Gualapack

What are the key drivers for change in your industry sector and how much is the on-going pressure for greater sustainability and recycling affecting your productivity? We can only expect these trends will grow stronger, as packaging is becoming part of the experience and decision process for people’s everyday needs and, more importantly, for long-term environmental protection. Our ongoing commitment to sustainability puts Gualapack in a prime position to meet the emerging needs in this scenario – not only for the quality and features of our products, but also because as a company we strive to be more sustainable in every aspect: from low-energy lighting in our factories to the use of renewable sources to power production. Flexible packaging applications are a great solution for sustainability, but they are extremely fragmented and the Circular approach is adding complexity to the value chain. The way each stakeholder faces this complexity is what defines challenges and opportunities. Not all applications in the flexible industry are eligible for a closed circular loop, so a harmonised approach is required so direct and indirect stakeholders can manage every scenario. This is one of the reasons why understanding and supporting legislation changes is a strategic activity for converters.

As we are keen to understand more about the latest trends shaping the packaging industry in your sector, what do you consider to be the most significant recent developments? Delivery services and e-commerce have recorded huge growth since the beginning of the pandemic, with obvious consequences on logistics. Shifting to flexible packaging can often be the right solution: lightweight yet resistant, flexible pouches can contain and protect many different types of products even during long and complex shipping journeys, while still fitting into boxes and trucks more efficiently than rigid options – reducing both costs and environmental footprint. The pandemic has also led consumers to pay more attention to safety and hygiene. Plastic packaging is airtight, can be wiped down or disinfected if needed, and is also convenient for single-dose products – such as ketchup sachets that can replace condiment bottles passed around in restaurants. Can you describe your product portfolio and its sustainability credentials? The laminates and pouches in our portfolio are designed to cover the most demanding applications on the market – including retort or aseptic filling for food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. At the same time, our capabilities for design customisation and versatile technology allow us to cover mid-range applications. All these products clearly address solutions within the reduce, reuse, recycle waste hierarchy.

Are you planning the launch of any new products in the foreseeable future that you can tell us about? Our product portfolio is in continuous evolution, balancing the “push” from our innovation pipeline and the “pull” from markets and legislation compliance. Lightweight caps and recyclable tube laminates are two examples of what this evolution had led to, at Gualapack. How has the Covid 19 pandemic affected your production and manufacturing capabilities? The pandemic has been with no doubt a shock for people, economies and industries. Our company was able to face this shock maintaining continuity in operations, support to customers and strong cohesion within the organisation. Gualapack clearly demonstrates a clear understanding of the many issues facing a multi-faceted packaging company such as its own. As a result of their unwavering commitment to the circular economy, the company’s future is all-set to be a bright one.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Recyclability

GoPlasticPallets

Plastic a-go-go

GoPlasticPallets.com are taking on responsibility for going even further with its recycling and return sustainability programme. Today the company is inviting other manufacturers to join them in their commitment to return and recycle plastic pallets to achieve a truly circular economy. GoPlasticPallets.com is one of the worlds leading suppliers of plastic pallets, boxes and containers. It was the pioneering decision they made in 2019 to take back and recycle every plastic product that it supplies. GoPlasticPallets.com has sunsequently posed the question: “Who has the biggest responsibility when it comes to recycling plastic? Is it the consumer or end-user? Or, is it the brands and manufacturers themselves?” It’s an interesting question recently aired by Goplasticpallets.com’s Managing Director, Jim Hardisty. Hardisty told SPN, “Goplasticpallets.com is the leading supplier of plastic pallets, boxes, and containers, and over the last few years, we have been working hard to put our sustainable responsibilities and the planet at the core of everything that we do. It was back in 2019 that we pioneered the UK plastic pallet industry’s first recycling scheme. This revolutionary commitment saw us pledge to take back and recycle all of the plastic products that we supply. In March 2022, the company celebrated the third anniversary of the pioneering recycling scheme and have recycled approaching 1,000 tons tonnes of plastic to date”

CEO Jim Hardisty

Goplasticpallets.com is now encouraging plastic pallet users to join its ground-breaking recycling scheme no matter who supplies their products. Hardisty added, “Making the most of the valuable plastic that already exists, promotes a circular economy and is a much more sustainable way to use plastic. We work closely with one of our manufacturing partners to recycle plastic pallets, boxes and containers and turn them into new, recycled pallets. Over 93% of the plastic pallets we supply are made entirely from recycled plastic”. Hardisty continued, “Furthermore, partnering with us creates a continuous recycling loop, and the beauty of our scheme is that it is open to everyone, no matter who supplied your plastic pallets! When thinking about who has the biggest responsibility when it comes to recycling plastic, I’d say it is all of us. We took responsibility in 2019 and now it is time to work together to recycle these valuable plastic products and prevent them from going to waste.”

38 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

GoPlasticPallets.com has certainly made its mark on the pallet industry and opened its doors to all for the benefit of those that wish to contribute to a cleaner, safer world. In order to join the Plastic Pallets recycling revolution, simply get in touch by visiting: www.goplasticpallets.com

Recyclability

kp Elite

Unique recyclable MAP solution kp Elite® offers this modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) solution for fresh protein that delivers end-to-end sustainability. This award-winning product is made with up to 100% recycled PET (rPET), which is recyclable, highly efficient, reduces food waste and extends shelf-life. Include kp

Tray Tra

kpfilms.com

Sustainable protection of everyday needs SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS 39

EVERTIS

Evertis

Taking steps towards a regenerative future Sustainable solutions flow fast and frequently at Evertis. For this issue, we invited the company to update us on its latest products and achievements.

“ Ecobar™, our newest product launch, is a recyclable APET film with enhanced barrier and sealing capabilities ” 40 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

EVERTIS

“ Our innovation team considers every stage of our product´s journey, before and after it reaches the consumer ”

Evertis told SPN, “At Evertis we are fully committed to supplying future-fit PET packaging solutions. As a global food packaging company, we are conscious of our role in promoting the circularity of PET trays, as well as our responsibility to reduce food waste. For that reason, we center our innovation in developing films that are recyclable and have a high incorporation of recycled content, whilst maintaining product functionality.

“ we are fully committed to supplying future-fit PET packaging solutions ” To Evertis, eco-design means supplying products that follow all legislation and regulation in the food contact industry, protecting and assuring the properties of the product that is packed, and guaranteeing that after the product is consumed, the packaging can be recycled and incorporated again for new materials. Ecobar™, our newest product launch, is a recyclable APET film with enhanced barrier and sealing capabilities. The usual PET/EVOH/PE structure is replaced with a recyclable PET/EVOH/PET structure – more than 90% is PET. This is the perfect solution for brand-owners looking for alternative sustainable solutions that maintain product functionality in terms of food preservation, at the same time as meeting recyclability targets. These films guarantee extended freshness and protection, offering a longer shelf-life for perishable goods, with or without a conditioned environment (MAP applications). Ecobar™ films are compatible with universal sealing lidding films and ideal for Form-Fill-Seal packaging of products. Our recyclable barrier films offer superior performance and exceptional clarity, for a wide range of food applications such as fresh meat, fish, seafood, ham, bacon and cheese.

Apart from centering innovation on recyclable solutions, we target 50% recycled content in our products. We are pioneers in the inclusion of recycled content in our films, with our own recycling unit operating since 2002 and in the development of a full circular model, with a recent partnership for tray-to-tray recycling since 2019. In 2021 we were above the objectives of the European Union of reaching a 25% of recycled content by 2025, incorporating more than 31,000 tons of recycled PET in our film production. Our results exceed our commitment and, as one of the more than 100 signatories of the Circular Plastic Alliance, Evertis over contributes to the collective goal of using 10 million tons of recycled plastics, to make new products every year in Europe, by 2025. Our innovation team considers every stage of our product´s journey, before and after it reaches the consumer. Consequently, we started 2022 by achieving EuCertPlast food contact certification of our recycling unit, recognizing that our operations meet the highest standards and provide confidence to our clients that all our input waste postconsumer PET and output PET flake is produced according to best practices. The certification works according to the European Standard EN 15343:2007 and encourages an environmentally friendly recycling of plastics by standardizing it, offering traceability in the supply chain, throughout the recycling process, and recycled content quantity, in the end products. At Evertis our mission is to develop future-fit packaging solutions that meet the highest expectations of clients and end consumers in terms of food safety, functionality, and circularity, as well as committing to the creation of opportunities for the whole industry to become regenerative. To find out more visit: www.evertis.com

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Waste Reduction

Evreka – Eureka!

Terracycle and Evreka have now implemented their all-new waste management system, as the partnership signals a new-era in revolutionising waste management. International recycling leaders TerraCycle and Evreka, which are Sustainability-as-a-Service companies, specialise in waste-management tracking. They have just announced the implementation of new, cutting-edge waste management technology that uses real-time, optimised data that will revolutionise the waste collection operations for all TerraCycle waste streams. The solution is scheduled to be deployed within TerraCycle’s European and North American operations with additional markets following throughout 2022. “This software provides us the ability to centralise and scale the tracking of all waste movements through each step of our global supply chain from receipt through multiple stages of sortation and processing to final recycling,” said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle. “The centralisation and tracking methods implemented will allow third party certification of our recycling claims beyond any standards we’ve seen within the waste industry.

Evreka’s software will provide asset and operations management solutions for TerraCycle’s Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and will work in tandem with the company’s current systems. Data from the MRF will be stored in Evreka’s all-in-one management platform, which can monitor the waste as it moves through the recycling process. “We are proud to be working hand in hand with a company as innovative as TerraCycle in our efforts to solve the world’s waste problem and create a sustainable future,” said Umutcan Duman, CEO of Evreka. “We have achieved new successes by broadening the variety of our product range to ensure optimisation in all aspects of waste management. Through these successes, it is especially exhilarating to know that our efforts in digitising waste management have found a purpose toward a greater cause, where we can advance the frontiers of sustainability for a better world.” With its vision aiming to provide Sustainability as a Service, Evreka hopes to help tackle the global waste problem and develop inclusive sustainable solutions by working with partners in the public and private sector across different industries, including waste generators, processors, recyclers, brand owners and regulators. To learn more about TerraCycle and Evreka, visit: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/ and https://evreka.co/

42 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Waste Reduction

New mobile, modular chemical recycling system The new system converts non-recyclable waste into high value-added additives. AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, coordinated the LIFE ECO-METHYLAL Project. This is an ambitious European project that recently ended with the construction of a chemical recycling plant capable of converting one kilo of non-recyclable waste into half a kilo of methylal, a substance that can be used as a solvent and as a raw material to produce new plastics.

“ Chemical recycling consists of a set of thermal, chemical & biological processes ” Chemical recycling consists of a set of thermal, chemical and biological processes that complement mechanical recycling with the aim of achieving the ambitious goal of zero waste in line with the circular economy.

E R E M A G R O U P

T O F U L L R E C YC L I N G S O L U T I O N S

Feasibility and pre-invest studies

Engineering and integration services

Turnkey projects

We have ever y thing covered, regardless of whether your new project Each of the individual process steps is perfectly tuned to ensure that what expecting from the beginning. The right sorting and washing equipment, the perfect extruder. Get the best results from EREMA Group‘s decades

is for polyolefin or PET recycling. you get in the end, is what you were the most suitable water treatment, of experience in plastics recycling.

www.keycycle.at

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Waste Reduction

“ there is a strong need to improve packaging circularity via better waste sorting management ”

Intelligent AI sorting-solutions

Nine brand-owners, an independent test & research centre and two universities will bring expertise gained over 2 years of research to develop and test a new artificial intelligence (AI) decision model. This could significantly improve efficiency in the separating of packages that are currently not properly sorted, such as food and non-food. Promising solutions Beyond the current practices of the industry on reduction, reuse of materials and eco-design, there is a strong need to improve packaging circularity via better waste sorting management. Current sorting techniques have limited performances as they are based on a few parameters such as the type of material, rigid or flexible properties, colour, etc. In addition, some packages are currently not efficiently separated which is the case for food vs. non-food packaging or flexible multi-material packaging.

44 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Over the past few years, several projects focusing on the development of disruptive technologies such as watermarks have been initiated, with the objective of enhancing packaging waste sorting in the EU. AI technologies applied to waste sorting are also in line with this approach and promising solutions that would not involve changes in packaging design.

“ promising solutions that would not involve changes in packaging design ”

Waste Reduction

Independent research National Test centre Circular Plastics (NL), Danone, Colgate Palmolive, Ferrero, LVMH Recherche, Mars, Incorporated, Michelin, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Ghent University (B) and Radboud University (NL) have launched the Perfect Sorting project with the aim of improving packaging waste sorting through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

As key stakeholders of the value chain, the members consider it is their role to lead the way in co-developing this AI decision model and making it available to the market. The consortium members will also make use of an open innovation approach, preventing a potential technology lock-in.

The unique feature of this project is its composition as nine brand-owners, an independent test & research centre and two universities are part of the consortium. Together they combine a strong expertise in eco-design, packaging waste sorting and recycling as well as AI programming.

“ The consortium members will also make use of an open innovation approach ” NTCP will test a wide range of packaging products provided by the brand-owners using their own flexible and modular sorting line with industrial equipment. These assessments will be used to further develop the packaging sorting model of the University of Ghent. NTCP, together with the universities of Ghent and Radboud will develop an AI decision model to detect, identify and classify packaging beyond the current sorting streams. The consortium members also aim to involve different technology providers and waste management companies during the course of the project.

Plastic recovery and recycling struggling to keep pace with volume of waste Analysis of DEFRA statistics on plastic packaging waste reveals that while rates of recovery and recycling are improving, the total volumes of plastic packaging that is not being recovered or recycled is not being reduced. The analysis from Nozama, the global sustainability technology company and creator of Plastics, found that 1.306 million tonnes of plastic packaging were neither recycled or recovered in the UK in 2020.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Waste Reduction

BASF, Quantafuel and REMONDIS cooperate on chemical recycling of plastic waste BASF, Quantafuel and REMONDIS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly evaluate a cooperation in chemical recycling including a joint investment into a pyrolysis plant for plastic waste. It is intended that REMONDIS, one of the world’s leading waste and water management companies, supplies suitable plastic waste to the plant, and BASF uses the resulting pyrolysis oil as feedstock in its production Verbund as part of its ChemCyclingTM project. Quantafuel intends to provide the technology and to operate the plant. The company is a specialist for the pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste and the purification of the resulting pyrolysis oil; the technology is jointly developed and being held with BASF. The location of the pyrolysis plant will be evaluated together.

Banding for sustainability › 100% recyclable ECO.BANDING (paper banding which complies with French and European guidelines) › Multi-Width option: multiple band widths on 1 machine › Waste reductions of 80 % or more are no exception › Flexible printing while banding

46 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Meet us at IFFA, Empack Dortmund en PLMA Amsterdam T +31 (0)348 431520 E info@bandall.com I bandall.com ›

Waste Reduction

Now upcycle polystyrene! Chemists at Cornell University have discovered a way to use light and oxygen to upcycle polystyrene, into benzoic acid, a product stocked in university and high school chemistry labs. It is also used in fragrances, food preservatives, and other ubiquitous products. Styrofoam egg cartons, hard plastic compact disc cases, red drinking cups and many other common products are composed of polystyrene, which makes up a third of landfill waste worldwide. A team led by Erin Stache, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell, found the reaction can even take place in a sunny window. Their paper, “Chemical Upcycling of Commercial Polystyrene via Catalyst-Controlled Photooxidation” published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. In line with her lab’s mission to tackle environmental concerns through chemistry, the new process is mild, climate-friendly and scalable to commercial waste streams, Stache said.Moreover, the process is tolerant of additives inherent in a flow of consumer waste, including dirt, dyes and other types of plastics.

Last summer, Stache’s lab ran some degradation experiments in a sunny window; in a place with strong year-round sunlight, the reaction could be done outdoors.”

“ If we can use sunlight to drive the process, that’s a win-win ” The advantage of using light is you can get exquisite control over the chemical process based on some of the catalysts we’ve developed to harness the white light. If we can use sunlight to drive the process, that’s a win-win,” Stache said, noting that existing polymer recycling requires heating a polymer for melting and processing, which usually requires fossil fuel. To test the tolerance of the process to other materials mixed with the PS plastic, the researchers used several products, ranging from packaging materials to coffee cup lids.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

LEONHARD KURZ

“ With KPS slim (patent pending), KURZ is raising the sustainability bar even further ”

LEONHARD KURZ

Making cold transfer even more efficient and sustainable KPS slim (patent pending) from LEONHARD KURZ Successful product packaging immediately catches the eye and is remembered for a long time. Excellent packaging is also characterized by being embellished efficiently and sustainably. With the KPS SX+ quality, LEONHARD KURZ had already successfully introduced a cold transfer formulation at the beginning of 2021 that meets precisely these requirements for an attractive and at the same time sustainable and efficient type of product finishing. Now the thin-film specialist, that cares greatly about continuously optimizing its products, has further advanced the finishing and is presenting KPS slim (patent pending).

48 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

With KPS slim (patent pending), KURZ is raising the sustainability bar even further: To match their wafer-thin metallization layers, they have now also significantly slimmed down the transfer carrier for their cold transfer decoration. In this way, they are reducing the PET share of their decoration product by a whopping 50%! In turn, this means more running meters on one roll, fewer reel changes, and therefore less downtime and faster set-up times. Not to forget: The PET is only a carrier material and is not applied to your print sheets. What remains on your packaging is a brilliant gloss, even on complex surfaces.

LEONHARD KURZ

Outstanding properties and sustainable finishing The new cold transfer solution is suitable for decorating a wide variety of substrates. Even with recycled, difficult, or thin materials, the KPS slim (patent pending) quality generally enables high gloss, excellent coverage, and edge definition as well as a wide range of design options – from large-scale to delicate. Its unique feature is that at 6 μm instead of 12 μm, the PET carrier used is half as thin as its predecessor. “Guided by the idea of sustainability, we wanted to retain the excellent properties of KPS SX+ and at the same time save resources by using a significantly thinner PET carrier,” explains Norbert Hell, Global Business Development Manager Cold Transfer at KURZ. “With KPS slim (patent pending), we use significantly thinner carrier material than with conventional products and, thanks to the lower weight, are also able to reduce CO2 consumption.”, adds Dr. Ulrike Plaia, Intl. Product Manager Cold Transfer at KURZ.

In addition, KURZ has succeeded in further increasing the cost-effectiveness for customers when using this unique product. As more running meters fit on one roll, the weight is reduced while the number of running meters remains the same. This means fewer roll changes are required, which ultimately leads to a reduction in downtimes and set-up times. The new premium product KPS slim (patent pending) is already available as a limited edition in many European countries; further regions will follow as part of the global market launch.

“ The new formulation, which is patent pending, also boasts outstanding application properties and high processing efficiency ” Efficient processing with lower material consumption The new formulation, which is patent pending, also boasts outstanding application properties and high processing efficiency. For example, the adhesive consumption of KPS slim (patent pending) is typically lower than that of conventional cold transfer products.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS

Featuring

Packaging Innovations & Empack 25 & 26 May 2022 | NEC, Birmingham

Discover the future of your brand’s packaging and production journey! Do you want the chance to see what’s new in the world of

packaging and discover the latest innovations and technology?

Then it’s time to add Packaging Innovations and Empack to your diary – and find out why thousands of brands make it their must-attend event.

Over two days, experience... • 280 innovative suppliers

• Free-to-attend seminars • Live demonstrations

• Networking opportunities with decision-makers and buyers • Brand NEW interactive features

Unmissable features include...

SUSTAINABILITY TRAIL

2022 welcomes this new feature, showcasing panel approved sustainable innovations that are shaping the future of the packaging industry to guide your prospective projects.

www.packagingbirmingham.com

This Dragon’s Den style competition invites sustainable packaging creators the chance to pitch their idea to a jury of experienced sustainability-driven packaging experts!