Weekly Roundup: DS Smith reinvigorates circular charge with three-year Ellen MacArthur agreement

24 May 2019 --- This week in packaging, Europe’s largest cardboard and paper recycler DS Smith signed up as an Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Partner. The three-year partnership will support innovation in DS Smith’s business model to include projects on packaging design for a circular economy and improving collection systems in urban areas. Also in sustainability, The UK Plastics Pact’s first annual progress report revealed that unrecyclable plastics such as non-detectable black plastics and polystyrene are disappearing from UK supermarket shelves. Meanwhile, Graham Packaging pledged to produce only 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.

In brief: Sustainability action
DS Smith became an Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Partner. The three-year partnership will support the supplier’s development of recyclable packaging solutions and help to improve urban collection systems. DS Smith joins the foundation’s ten existing Global Partners including Danone, Google, H&M Group, Intesa Sanpaolo, NIKE, Phillips, Renault, SC Johnson, Solvay and Unilever in driving forward circular economy initiatives at scale. “Building on the company’s strong history of innovation across its supply chains, our partnership will focus on identifying opportunities to redesign materials, business models and problematic waste streams to create solutions that are aligned with the principles of the circular economy,” said Dame Ellen MacArthur.

In the UK, WRAP marked the first anniversary of The UK Plastics Pact with a new progress report. The report found that unrecyclable plastics – particularly hard-to-detect black plastics – are disappearing from supermarket shelves, while members have also started removing single-use plastics such as straws and plastic cutlery. WRAP CEO Marcus WRAP is pleased with the progress members are making, but reminds them to remove polystyrene and PVC from food packaging and by the end of 2020, from non-food products also. These plastics are not recycled and in the case of PVC, it also contaminates plastic recycling. Also by the end of 2019 members are being requested to only use plastic that can be sorted effectively in the recycling process, by for example adopting detectable black pigments.RPC Bramlage Division's top-filled Magic Pur dispenser, with a smaller 40mm diameter.

Graham Packaging, a global manufacture of plastic packaging solutions, signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The agreement states that by 2025, 100 percent of its plastic packaging must be reusable, recyclable or compostable. Graham Packaging joins hundreds of the world’s leading brands that also signed this pledge. The Graham Recycling Center – one of the largest of its kind in the northeast of the US – recycles 50 million pounds or approximately 378 million plastic containers, from curbside recycling programs each year.

In brief: Miscellaneous
Huhtamaki celebrated the opening of its new, state-of-the-art foodservice packaging manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland. The Antrim facility operates initially as a dedicated paper straw manufacturing site. Going forward, Huhtamaki plans to expand the range of products manufactured at the site to other paper-based product categories. The first wave of manufacturing equipment is to be taken into use during 2019 and further investments in additional manufacturing equipment are planned for 2020-2022.

RPC Bramlage Division extended its range of Magic airless dispensers with the introduction of a new design. Available in 50ml and 100ml versions and with a smaller 40mm diameter, the top-filled Magic Pur dispenser combines an elegant and modern appearance on-shelf with user-friendly operation, delivering an accurate 1ml of product each time. It is able to handle creams and lotions of all types of viscosities, making it suitable for a variety of cosmetic and personal care applications. Equally important, airless technology provides effective protection of sensitive ingredients, meeting the continuing trend for more natural products with fewer preservatives.The fiber-based, banana-shaped Bois Underwear pack, made by students from Nackademin

For the 15th year in a row, the Swedish edition of PIDA – Packaging Impact Design Award – was held in Stockholm, and this year, sustainability and recycling were in focus. The design that had the best concept according to the jury, was the fiber-based, banana-shaped Bois Underwear pack, made by students from Nackademin. This year’s brief was “Bring the future” and the students’ challenge was to develop a sustainable packaging concept for the year 2030. This year, the jury looked at the innovation, sustainability, user-friendliness, concept and communication of the contributions. Bois received high marks on all points and the students were praised for their creativity, the strong communication and sense of humor. The international competition PIDA is arranged by BillerudKorsnäs and is carried out in collaboration with leading universities and colleges in Sweden, the UK, France and Germany.

By Joshua Poole