The flexible route to net-zero

Parkside The flexible route to net-zero

In today’s environmentally aware market, brands, retailers, and their supply chains face multiple challenges when aligning their packaging choices with their net-zero strategies.

Amid calls to turn off the plastic tap and reduce carbon emissions, we have seen some highly ambitious packaging pledges fall far from the mark when implemented, often underestimating the full role of packaging’s functionality. The reality is that packaging requirements are complex, making the innovation and sourcing of functional, sustainable packaging alternatives complex, too.

Packaging’s fundamental purpose is to protect and preserve. However, there is no ‘one-fits-all’ solution, and flexible packaging has not always been designed with the environment in mind. Some of the industry’s challenges are multi-material non-recyclable laminates, food contamination, littering, and inefficient waste management infrastructures. However, the innovative flexible packaging industry has evolved rapidly in response to ever-changing customer and product needs, such as food safety, consumer convenience, recyclability, and food waste reduction.

Vital role

Food waste alone is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted annually. That’s one-third of all food produced for human consumption. When food waste breaks down in landfill, it produces harmful greenhouse gases. Therefore, packaging designed to extend the shelf-life of food products in-store and at home plays a vital role in the race to net zero.

Retailers setting the bar

Many retailers lead with bold packaging pledges to bolster their net-zero targets. UK retailer Iceland pledged to eliminate all plastic packaging from its own-label brands by 2023 and recently demonstrated that a trusted packaging partner is critical to success. Iceland collaborated with sustainable, flexible packaging specialists, Parkside, to develop one of the world’s first paper-recyclable packaging solutions for frozen food.

Meanwhile, M&S has targeted net zero carbon emissions by 2040. In addition to its target that 100% of its food packaging will be recyclable by the end of this year, M&S has promised a 30% reduction in the volume of plastic food packaging by 2027.

The solution

The flexible packaging industry is highly versatile and has innovated its way out of many challenges in the past; its response to net zero targets is no different. Parkside understands the complexity of the sustainability conundrum and knows there is no silver bullet to sustainability.

Whether compostable, renewable, recyclable, recycled content, lightweight, low carbon, or packaging designed for reuse and refill, Parkside can provide that solution quickly and effectively while maintaining the quality and functional performance of the pack, including strength, robustness, packaging speed, energy efficiency, shipping weight, or product protection. No matter how retailers want to design for the environment, choosing a packaging partner who can provide a broad range of packaging solutions is essential.

Parkside is an innovative packaging solutions provider specialising in compostable, recyclable, paper-based and innovative plastic flexible packaging solutions. Specialising in advanced solutions for the food, personal & household care and tobacco sectors. Established for more than 40 years it is regularly leading the field in innovative solutions to drive the net-zero objectives