Packaging Innovations 2024 live: Reusables and single-use formats in foodservice packaging
14 Mar 2024 | Foodservice Packaging Association
We talk to Martin Kersh, executive director of the UK’s Foodservice Packaging Association, about legislation surrounding quick-service restaurant solutions and the need for increased government investment in collection and recycling infrastructure. We also discuss new reusable and recyclable packaging innovations.
This is Louis Gur Langton for Packaging Insights.
I'm joined by Martin Kirsch, executive director of the Food Packaging Association.
Could you tell us a little bit about what you're doing at the show this year?
What I'm doing at the show is one, we're playing a part in an absolutely fantastic food service packaging association zone, so I've been chatting to a lot of members.
I've been chatting to people I haven't seen for many years.
They've all come here.
Today, lots and lots of customers.
We've been chatting to them and people I have seen at other shows including Paris Packaging Week and London Packaging Week.
It's been fantastic.
The networking has been supersonic this year.
And what's your main aim for the show, would you say?
My main aim is to catch up with people, is to make sure the FPA is seen and Heard which we certainly have been with the talks from the stages to be very present, but also to see what else is going on, particularly outside the world of food service.
So I've been very fascinated to see what's been happening with things like pallet wrap, some amazing developments and brilliant stands, some of it really eye opening and it's improved my knowledge.
Hugely and there's a lot of pressure at the moment on the food service sector regarding reusables and single-use formats.
Could you tell me a bit about that?
They've all got a place.
I think one of the things which has come out of the show is that the place for reusables is part of a reusable system and not just some anarchical thing where everybody brings their own packaging.
And expects it to be dealt with by the retailer.
So I think that is an understanding and, you know, we believe that is certainly part of the future, but it is only one part of the future.
As you look around the show, you see plenty of excellent single-use solutions just as much as you see the refillables as.
I think we're all coexisting side by side.
There's a place for both of us.
And with big policy changes coming up this year, both in the UK and in the EU with the packaging and packaging waste regulation.
What would you like to see changed there?
Oh gosh, that is a hell of a wide brief there.
You've really much thrown me on that one.
We would like to ensure that there is no double counting, that that no single piece of packaging is paying twice, and that when it comes to new regulations they are applied equally, applied to everyone, and that there aren't those who wriggle out of not paying the plastics tax because of some clever definition they're using or they're able to sell a.
Spoon because they called it a reusable when in fact it's no different from anything else.
So we're looking as always for a level playing field for all producers so we all know where we stand and the final thing is we really are looking for the money that's going to be paid into EPR to be used sensibly and to be used effectively, not to be thrown away and.
In a week when Birmingham City Council says it's run out of money and they're reducing the number of bin collections, that doesn't make us feel too good for the future.
Is that because the government doesn't necessarily have to spend the EPR money back into the industry?
The idea is it's supposed to pay for the net cost of waste management.
That was the promise.
If we find it's being used for reasons.
Things other than that, of course we're going to be disappointed.
We actually want to make that money work.
We want really good return on that money.
This is a business proposition.
It's not some social enterprise.
This is real business.
It's got to deliver.
And if those changes aren't made this year, what do you think the consequences could be?
We're not expecting changes to be made this year.
We're expecting more development of the.
We're expecting more definitions, more agreement to what's there.
The definitions are critical as we're finding now.
What we're worried about is packaging which isn't meant to be caught up in some of this legislation being caught up and then not being collected at curbside, for instance.
That really is worrying and that's probably one of the hot topics of the week.
I don't expect, I think we're in for a long.
Bumpy ride on this, it's not going to be smooth, and I think it's going to take a number of years before all of the things which were talked about, gosh, a good 5 years ago come to fruition, but we're working with government, we want to get the best results.
And if you had one message for the food service packaging industry this year in 2024, what would it be?
Continue your brilliant inventiveness.
I like the way we're moving back towards functionality.
And it's not necessarily about outperforming each other with sustainability claims whatever they may be or I'm greener than you, but really getting back into ensuring the packaging does what it's meant to do.
I'm that's very important.
What we see around us today.
Superb examples of creativity, constantly coming up with new solutions, new foods, new ideas.
I'm loving seeing that.
That is wonderful and it really is a pleasure to be in the FPA zone today.
Fantastic, thank you and thank you to our brilliant organizers, Easy Fairs, done a brilliant job.
Brilliant, Martin, thank you.
