PACKAGING
SUSTAINABILITY AND PLASTIC PACKAGING Plastics packaging facilitates energy saving Given its lightweight property, plastic packaging helps with energy saving while transporting any number of packed products. With less fuel usage, emissions are reduced and costs are therefore saved for retailers, consumers, and distributors.
Plastics packaging means prevention of food waste More than 50% of the overall amount of food that is wasted in the United Kingdom (UK) originates from homes. People in the country throw away around 8.5 million tonnes of drinks and foods from their homes annually while over half of this is the drink and food that could have been consumed. This food wastage costs an average household around £490 per year, surging to £698 for a family with kids, which is the equivalent of nearly £68 a month. The sealability and durability of plastic packaging help safeguard the goods from germs and other forms of deterioration while elevating their shelf life. Plastic-sourced modified atmosphere packaging helps foster the shelf life from five to at least 10 days, which means that the food loss in retail stores drops from 18% to 5%.
Plastic packaging ensures carbon savings Plastic packaging accounts for only around 1.8% of the total use of oil and gas. The chemicals used in plastic raw materials are sourced from by-products of the refining process that otherwise have no other major uses. While most of the oil and gas are used in heating and transport, the value utilised in plastic production is bolstered by the plastics’ recyclability as well as recovery potential of the energy content when its life ends in waste-to-energy plants.
Plastic packaging in food industry Food packaging is almost the biggest user of plastics. Rigid plastic packaging is in great demand in the food sector, progressively replacing conventional materials like metals, glass, and paperboard, given their impressive properties, including reduced cost and lightweight. The heightened sales of a variety of bakery products worldwide
have been favourable for the flexible plastic packaging market. Flexible plastic packaging helps bolster the shelf-life of the product while preventing chalky bread conditions. With more than 84% of baked goods available in flexible packaging and the majority of the bakeries creating an extensive line of buns, rolls, and bread, including gluten-free and specialty, plastic packaging developers are coming up with innovative solutions that cater to every consumer demand.
Future of plastic packaging The surging prevalence of organised retail, especially in emerging countries will ensure a bright future for the plastic packaging industry in the following years. The packaged food and beverage industry will be witnessing strong growth in subsequent years, considering the evolving lifestyles of consumers, rise in the urban population, surging economical activities in developing countries, and the enhanced popularity of e-retail. The emergence of innovative and creative packaging solutions
like modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging, bioplastic packaging, and edible packaging should also open lucrative avenues for the plastic packaging market in the years to come.
vendinginternational-online.com | 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28
