Weekly Roundup: Canada set to bin single-use plastics by 2021

14 Jun 2019 --- This week in packaging, Canada announced its intention to ban “harmful” single-use plastics by as early as 2021. The initiative is modelled on the EU’s Single-Use Plastic Directive and aims to combat growing levels of ocean waste. Similarly, the California Assembly approved measures to cut packaging and plastic waste by 75 percent by 2030. Also, German supermarket Aldi revealed plans to replace plastic bags with paper or compostable alternatives across all of its UK stores in two comparative trials.

In brief: Sustainability action
The Government of Canada announced plans to ban single-use plastics in a bid to help curb what President Trudeau is calling “the global challenge of plastic pollution.” Modelled on the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive and other similar legislation, Canada is expected to ban the most troublesome single-use products such as straws, cutlery and stirrers, although a definitive list is yet to be confirmed. Trudeau has also said that Canada will be establishing “targets” for plastic manufacturers to encourage them to take responsibility for their own plastic waste.

The California Assembly agreed measures to reduce packaging and plastic waste by 75 percent by 2030. The measures are designed to help businesses transition from single-use plastic containers to reusable or compostable packaging within “reasonable timelines” and also call for incentives for in-state manufacturing using recycled materials. Together, these requirements will cut back on the amount and type of trash going into landfills and litter in neighborhoods, waterways and the ocean, which will reduce costs to taxpayers for disposal and clean-up.Garçon Wines bespoke indulgence gift in collaboration with gifting company Emagination Store. 

Aldi unveiled plans to scrap traditional plastic bags and replace them with paper and compostable alternatives across all stores. The German supermarket will trial paper bags at half of its UK stores and compostable bags at the other half from July. The most successful trial will dictate which plastic bag alternative Aldi will pursue as a permanent option. The compostable bags are made from a material known as Bioplast which fully composts within 12 months. Reports suggest they will be sold for 6p while the paper bags will be sold for 19p.

Bericap launched its silicone-free BERICAPValve for ketchup, mayonnaises and spreadables. Most valves currently in use for these condiments are made of silicone, which contaminates the PET and/or the HDPE/PP recycling stream. More and more countries are taking action to take silicone out of the recycling stream. To avoid contamination, BERICAPValve is made of environmentally clean TPE, a polyolefin that recycles with the HDPE and PP recycling stream without contaminating it. Most bottles are equipped with hinge-caps that are easy to reclose. About 40 percent of these closures have an additional valve that allows precise and convenient dosing.

Ardagh reduced the weight of its 33cl can by 7 percent across the majority of its plants and has now extended the lightweighting to its 44cl and 50cl lightweight cans. These weight reductions create the potential to save 3.3 million hectoliters of water in Ardagh’s production process and to cut overall CO2 emissions by 28,000 tons. At the same time, the lightweight cans offer the same customer benefits as standard cans: they run as quickly along the filling lines; they’re equally able to withstand the pressure of carbonated drinks; and though they measure just 0.09mm at their most slender, the walls maintain the cans’ column strength. Just as importantly, the lightweight cans are compatible with the CDL end, which provides the same protective seal as a standard end but is 10 percent lighter and therefore offers a further saving in resources in comparison to the previous end version.Ardagh’s 44cl and 50cl lightweighted cans.

In brief: Business news
Garçon Wines – the London-based inventors of 100 percent recycled and recyclable PET, flat wine bottles – celebrated two major milestones this month. June 2019 sees the UK-based start-ups’ first international debut with De Bijenkorf department store in the Netherlands and a collaboration with personalized gifting company Emagination Store to launch a bespoke indulgence gift with renowned multinational confectionery giant Mondelēz International. “The Netherlands have shown significant interest in our innovation and De Bijenkorf is a leader amongst retailers in showcasing innovative products, so we feel this is a most fitting springboard from where to launch our international expansion,” said Santiago Navarro, CEO & Co-Founder of Garçon Wines.

The European Commission (EC) has prohibited the creation of a joint venture by Tata Steel and ThyssenKrupp under the EU Merger Regulation. The merger would have reduced competition and increased prices for different types of steel and the parties did not offer adequate remedies to address these concerns, the EC stated. ThyssenKrupp is the second largest producer of flat carbon steel in the EEA while Tata Steel is the third largest. Both companies are significant producers of metallic coated and laminated steel for packaging applications and of galvanized flat carbon steel for the automotive industry.

By Joshua Poole