PACKAGING, DISPOSABLES & RECYCLING Vending is part of the packaging shift
The climate crisis has sparked a pressing need for sustainable solutions in packaging, disposables, and recycling and vending is getting involved
W
ith the increasing awareness of environmental concerns and the detrimental impact of single-use products, the industry is reacting by accelerating innovation in
recyclable and disposable packaging and proactively embracing the responsibility to operate in a more environmentally conscious manner. Innovations include hydration solutions that minimise plastic waste
and pollution and encourage bottle refills, recyclable and disposable cups, and packaging used in snacks and confectionery and food to go. Some of the vending companies to note include Westomatic,
Coffetek, 4 Aces, Herald, Papertech, Huhtamaki, Vegware and Benders. These are just a few examples of a growing list of firms involved in the field of sustainable packaging. At a national level, the government has taken several steps in
recent years to tackle the issue of sing-use plastics and starting from October 2023, certain single-use plastics such as plastic plates, cutlery, trays, bowls, and expanded polystyrene cups and containers
will be banned, and businesses will need to transition to paper or reusable alternatives to comply with the new regulations. The Vending and Automated Retail Association said: “The steps
taken may be challenging for the hospitality industry and may come at a significant cost, but from a sustainability standpoint, this new law will have a positive impact on reducing plastic pollution and increasing sustainability levels.” Meanwhile the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is also expected to have a similar positive impact on the hospitality and facilities industry. It’s planned to start in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2025, in Scotland in March 2024 and in Ireland in February 2024. Under a DRS, consumers pay a small deposit when they purchase a drink in a container, such as a plastic bottle or aluminium can. When they have finished the drink, they can return the empty container to a designated collection point, such as a vending machine or a store, and receive their deposit back. The collected containers are then transported to a recycling facility
where they are sorted and processed for recycling. The materials can be used to create new products such as bottles, cans, or other containers. Deposit return schemes have been successfully implemented in
several countries around the world, including Germany, Sweden, and Canada. They have been shown to increase recycling rates and reduce litter, and are being considered as a potential solution to the problem of plastic waste and pollution. In Germany in particular, a DRS know as the pfand system was introduced in 2003 and is considered to have been highly successful with a recycling rate of approximately 98 per cent for beverage containers and has helped to reduce litter and encourage re-useable containers. It’s clear that progress has been made towards sustainability
goals, but there is still a long way to go for the UK to achieve a truly sustainable circular economy. That said, there’s no doubt that vending is playing it’s part in achieving the end game.
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