Closing the compostable loop: Industry and academics form UK coalition for packaging shift

16 Sep 2022 --- Compostable Coalition UK has entered the packaging space to tackle plastic waste by researching ways to shift the country toward compostable packaging. 

The coalition comprises ten partner stakeholders from compostable packaging brands, retailers, academics, research charities, members of the bio-waste industry and trade associations responsible for the circularity of packaging. 

Some notable collaborators included in the consortium are TIPA, EnVar, Futamura, and Hubbub and the University of Sheffield which will be leading consumer behavior research

“We have assembled a select group of various regulatory, local authority, waste and labeling stakeholders, to ensure our work is balanced and supports the priorities of key UK stakeholders,” says the organization’s website. 

They have received about £1.2 million (US$1.36 million) in funding to examine the practicalities of organizing a complete lifecycle of compostable packaging throughout the nation via current bio-waste infrastructure.

 New coalition encouraging the use of compostable packaging in the UK by using current infrastructure. The coalition’s goals 
The Compostable Coalition is looking for compostable packaging solutions for the UK to reduce its plastic waste. It aims to demonstrate how to replace plastic packages with composable options and fully integrate them into the bio-waste collection and treatment routes. 

The association is focusing on reducing three main “hard-to-recycle” plastic packaging: consumer flexible packaging (such as chip bags), small formats (such as tea bags), and single-use service ware (such as plastic cutlery). 

Another goal is to expand business opportunities and market access for compostable products. One way they expect to do so is through utilizing the current UK framework for recycling, hoping that can translate into compostable packaging for effective collection, sorting and recycling. 

Closing the loop
The company’s objective is to create an entire lifecycle for compostable packaging so that it can repeat over and over again. 

Compostable packaging would be supplied to consumers, the leftover packaging and food would be collected, and local organic recycling would occur, creating new plants which would be used for new packaging and food to be done all over again. 

The organization’s tagline is “Closing the loop for compostable packaging.”

Plastic problems
The coalition states that over 1.3 million metric tons of plastic packaging go unrecycled in the UK each year. From that, 50% of single-use plastic cannot be or is not recycled. 

To target this problem, the UK implemented a Plastics Pact to “bring together businesses from across the entire value chain” to undertake the ongoing issue of plastic waste in the UK.

The coalition is following this pact and strives to meet similar goals. “The project’s findings can successfully signpost the policy and behavioral interventions that will reduce our dependence on hard-to-recycle plastic packaging and achieve the UK Plastics Pact goals,” said Julia Schifter, vice president of strategy analysis for TIPA. 

In April 2022, the UK placed a tax on plastic packaging to discourage its use and expand recycling. Earlier this year, the UK reported having a scarcity of recycled plastic due to the demand for tax-compliant packaging. 

Recently, the Netherlands was reported to have exported over 211 million kilograms of plastic waste. 

By Sabine Waldeck