Microplastics concerns drive calls for safer plastic packaging design

A white paper released by experts at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School, Australia, underscores the business risks of failing to respond to scientific evidence and consumer awareness of the potential harms associated with microplastics, including those originating from plastic packaging. 

The white paper, titled Microplastics: Preparing for Australia’s Next Regulatory Shift, highlights evidence that global plastic production now exceeds 450 million metric tons per year and could almost triple to 1.2 billion metric tons under a business-as-usual scenario. 

Martina Linnenluecke, professor at the UTS Centre for Climate Risk and Resilience, and co-author of the white paper, tells Packaging Insights: “Packaging is an important potential source of microplastics because large volumes of short-lived plastic can fragment during production, use, and disposal. The highest risks arise from thin films, foams, small components, and packaging exposed to heat, friction, ultraviolet light, or poor waste management.

“EU evidence indicates that plastic packaging and small plastic items make up 65% of marine litter, and this is creating a substantial reservoir that can fragment into microplastics. The EU also estimates that between 52,000 and 184,000 metric tons of plastic pellets were lost in 2019, with transport and logistics presenting the highest estimated leakage rates.”

Policies responding to concerns

The experts note that the EU, some US states, and Southeast Asian countries have already introduced targeted restrictions aimed at microplastics released from plastic products, including packaging.

“As awareness and regulations are increasing, we expect that consumers, but also investors and regulators, will increasingly want companies to demonstrate that packaging is necessary and not excessive, that it is safely designed, and that it is unlikely to harm the environment or human health across its life cycle,” says Linnenluecke. 

Ross Gordon, co-author of the study and professor of Change for Good at UTS, adds: “The banning of single-use plastic bags is only the opening salvo as governments respond to mounting scientific evidence and community concern.” 

“The white paper argues that microplastics are not only a technical or regulatory problem, but also a behavioral challenge shaped by how products are designed, marketed, used, maintained, and disposed of across supply chains and everyday life.”

Recently, Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water updated its circular packaging economy strategy. It said in a statement that it would help the packaging industry reduce single-use plastic.

Martina Linnenluecke, professor at the UTS Centre for Climate Risk and Resilience, and co-author of the white paper.Meanwhile, a letter from the Australian recycling and packaging industry insisted the current government “urgently” introduce packaging reforms or “risks the collapse” of Australia’s plastic recycling sector.

Preparing for tighter regulations

The experts argue that businesses should make lower-microplastic choices accessible, credible, and affordable rather than relying on consumers to drive change.

“Companies should map where plastics and plastic particles may escape, test packaging under realistic conditions, and redesign the highest-risk formats. They should also strengthen pellet-loss controls, improve supplier traceability, and build credible evidence for environmental claims before regulation makes these measures compulsory,” says Linnenluecke.

“The EU has already made pellet-loss controls mandatory for operators handling five metric tons or more each year, and these regulations are likely to be introduced in other jurisdictions and might become more stringent over time.”

She shares that increased monitoring and transparent reporting, circular business models, recycled-content products, and materials innovation can establish trust and enhance efficiencies in the face of consumer concern.

Businesses that fail to act face growing reputational and legal risks as awareness increases and disclosure requirements tighten, Linnenluecke concludes. “The question is not whether supply chains including plastics will change but how quickly, and who will lead it.”

Last month, Huhtamaki Australia told us that inconsistent waste sorting capacity and low end-market interest in recycled material pose key challenges to Australia’s recycling industry. Local packaging companies were increasingly innovating to find realistic solutions against plastic waste in the environment.