Shifting engrained mindsets and inviting innovation will address sustainability in packaging, says WRAP Director

20 May 2019 --- The UK Plastics Pact is a trailblazing, collaborative initiative, delivered by Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency Experts WRAP, that hopes to create a circular economy for plastics. Speaking to PackagingInsights, WRAP Director Peter Maddox highlights that once the Pact has established a foundation for the packaging industry – by eliminating non-recyclable materials from the consumer market, for example – the next step will be to invite innovation. And the opportunity for innovation will be massive, Maddox says.

To achieve this aim, getting the sector to work together to find systemic solutions is essential. In addition, engaging the consumer on the recycling process and avoiding the demonization of the material through education will also be vital.

Systemic solutions will involve a shift in engrained mindsets. “One of the challenges we all have in this sector is that we try to solve the problem with our existing mindset. If I am a food producer, the question should not be how do I pack my food? The question should be, how do I get my food from farm to fork. I think the idea of having new business models around how we transport goods around the economy – which is really what packaging is for – is fundamental.”Demonstrating that they are using plastic sustainably has become paramount to producers.

One example of an initiative that is rethinking production, consumption and distribution models is Loop, the e-commerce grocery platform launched by TerraCycle. Loop will supply leading products packaged in durable, reusable packaging, in a bid to establish a circular groceries model. The initiative launched last week in Paris. 

WRAP is also working with companies in the UK Plastics Pact to encourage new ideas that will either help come up with new plastic packaging design or new technologies for end-of-life.

“We recognize in the Plastics Pact that the first year or two will be about getting the foundation right. First, we will focus on eliminating non-recyclable plastics from the consumer market, for example, but as we move forward, we need to embrace innovation. What’s critical is that the whole sector works together and finds systemic solutions.”

One area that is attracting increasing innovation and holds potential for commercial rollout is chemical recycling. “Complex materials, such as multi-layer films, are very difficult to separate at polymer level for recycling. But, we can actually break them apart, and then we can put them back into the chemical industry as feedstock to make polymers again. Some of the major brands who use a lot of PET are thinking of using such technologies. Particularly for complex and contaminated packaging, some of these routes are very attractive and could be a very clever way to retain the amazing properties of the films but make them recyclable.”

Beverage giants PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe recently joined a consortium that seeks to bring enhanced polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling technology to market on an industrial scale. Developed by Carbios, a bio-industrial solutions company, the innovative process creates recycled PET, equivalent to virgin PET, that can be used for applications including bottles and other types of packaging. 

Eliminating problematic plastics, design, consumer education and rPET
Demonstrating to customers and other stakeholders that they are using plastic sustainably has become paramount to producers, says Maddox. Four areas have emerged as key for companies hoping to make their portfolios more sustainable: Eliminating problematic plastics, design, consumer education and increasing recycled content.

Eliminating unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging from food and beverage products is at the top of producers’ minds, Maddox explains. Secondly, they want to make sure that what they put on the market is recyclable, reusable or compostable. Third, they want to demonstrate their commitment to recycling by helping customers to recycle more and at better quality – this step can include better labeling and instructions. Lastly, to illustrate the circularity of the plastics economy, there is a huge focus on putting recycled content back into products.Designing packaging with its end-of-life in mind or, “Designing for recyclability,” has attracted tremendous attention this year.  

Of these four steps, the last one perhaps presents the biggest challenge. “Getting recycled content into packaging will be a big challenge to the Pact. Packaging used for food and beverages needs to meet food contact standards, so the right quality and the security of the supply is fundamental.”

The second step also presents challenges to the industry, with particular regard to the design process. “There have been some amazing plastic packaging innovations in the last decade – great barriers, very lightweight and very economical – but unfortunately some of those multi-layer films, for example, are not easily recyclable. So, the real challenge is how do we design packaging going forward so that it can retain these excellent properties but at the same time take appropriate consideration of end of life so they can be recycled and then put back into the marketplace.”

Designing packaging with its end-of-life in mind or, “Designing for recyclability,” has attracted tremendous attention this year. “Recyclable by Design” was identified by Innova Market Insights as the top packaging trend of the year. Earlier this year, SUEZ, who offer innovative and sustainable solutions for waste, released a new set of guidelines – SUEZ.circpack – that hope to assist brand-owners in designing for recyclability. The company hopes to communicate a clear set of standards for producers who want to contribute to a circular economy for packaging.   

The UK Plastics Pact also aims to provide instruction to an increasingly pressurized and complex plastics market and has worked with UK company Recoup to produce design tips for recycling for members of the Pact.

“What we find is that where there is a lot of pressure on producers to take action very quickly, the whole concept of design can feel onerous and complex, but this guide summarizes things to avoid when you design plastic packaging,” he explains.

We are already seeing tangible results, such as Pact member Nestlé switching its black plastic coffee-caps to colors that are more detectable on recycling sorting machines, as well as producers reducing the size of the labels on their PET bottles to increase the chance it can be sorted efficiently at recycling facilities.  

Moving forward, WRAP is also setting its sights on educating consumers on the importance of plastic packaging. 

Consumer engagement
Along the life-cycle of plastic packaging, the role the consumer plays is becoming increasingly recognized, as well as the potential investing in their education brings.

“We want to simplify recycling labeling in the UK and drive a more consistent framework. On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) was set up by WRAP 10 years ago and are pushing ahead to change the three label recycling system we have in the UK. This reflects the complexity we have in our local authorities. We are hoping to move to a binary system where products are labeled as recyclable or not recyclable.” 

Moving to a binary system would also hopefully drive the right behaviors from producers, notes Maddox. “Producers don’t want ‘not recyclable’ on their labels, so this will encourage them to re-design – it’s all a cunning plan to get everybody aligned.”

“We know from our stakeholders that plastics are their number one environmental issue. Plastic trumps food waste for many retailers and brands in the UK, but in reality, if you look at many metrics, food waste may be a bigger issue that we need to solve. That being said, what people think is valid,” Maddox says.

“We now have a Recycle Now campaign aimed at citizens that we will be supercharging. We also have a new dimension where we will try to change the conversation around plastic. Part of this will be WRAP as helping other stakeholders to explain the value of packaging and why it is there. To the average consumer who is buying their weekly shop, going home to find so much packaging is very frustrating - so we need to explain why it’s there,” he concludes. 

Peter Maddox will be delivering a speech at The Recycling Event, held in Coventry, UK, July 2,  entitled, “Defining what exactly is recycled content.” The event will be a major occasion for the packaging industry, from manufacturers, local government to retailers and those working in recycling, resource and waste management.

By Laxmi Haigh