Sustainable converting


Leading the sustainability conversation: Why transparency on plastic matters


The conversation about sustainability has cut through into the mainstream, and this conversation brings with it a wider understanding of the part played by sustainable materials and packaging design.


By Samuel Pardo, senior innovation manager, food packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast


are responsible for just 3.4 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Just 1kg of food waste sent to landfi ll creates the same quantity of emissions as 25,000 500ml plastic bottles. It is easy to forget that packaging is designed as a way to prevent waste, not to become waste itself. And for many applications in the globalised supply chain of today, plastic is simply the only material that is suited to that job. Replacing it with a material that is less well-suited only risks increasing food waste and creating a net negative impact on the environment.


While ‘plastic-free’ makes for a simple and A


s the conversation about sustainable packaging continues to grow, businesses have a unique opportunity to lead that conversation. Those


businesses will be the ones that recognise that plastic packaging can be part of the solution and that it is not necessarily the environmental problem it is often made out to be.


CLEARING UP CONSUMER CONFUSION We see through survey after survey that consumers want to live more sustainable lifestyles. But these surveys also show that many are confused about the best way to do so, and this is also the case with businesses. ‘Sustainability’ is a more complex term than many realise, this means that businesses and consumers often boil it down into simplistic ideas. Plastic reduction is one of those ideas and this can indeed be the right approach in many applications. With the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) in place, several EU Member States like Spain, France and Italy took early


action by introducing additional bans on specifi c categories of single-use packaging – particularly targeting fruit packaging. These national measures often included exemptions for certain perishable items or packaging types, refl ecting local market needs and infrastructure. Now, with the adoption of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), these eff orts are being fully harmonised at the EU level, ensuring a consistent regulatory framework across all Member States. Some would consider this the end of the conversation, but there are several important caveats to consider. Soft fruits, dairy and meat applications, among others, require an enhanced level of product protection. This is vital in the fi ght against food waste, which is one of the largest contributors to global emissions. The UNEP Food Waste Index Report found that almost a billion tonnes of food are wasted globally every year. The carbon footprint of this waste is estimated to make up around eight to ten per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Plastics


eff ective marketing message to slap onto a product, it is often a gross oversimplifi cation, and misleading, to assume that it means a product is better for the environment. It is down to businesses to educate consumers on this important issue, and the best way to achieve this is to lead by example.


THE FUTURE UNDER PPWR


Single-use plastic packaging waste management is a problem, but that problem lies in the phrase ‘single-use’ rather than ‘plastic’. Substitute ‘plastic’ with any other material, and the problem still exists.


Instead, it is much more productive to focus on closing the packaging loop, whether dealing with plastic, paper, glass, or metal packaging. While challenges do exist when it comes to recycling plastic packaging, innovative companies can drive real progress in this area. Currently, around 40 per cent of plastic packaging waste in the EU is successfully recycled.


Food trays are particularly challenging, our data estimates that around one million tonnes of PET trays are produced in the EU27+3 every year. Of this vast number, only 25 per cent is collected and sorted for recycling, and just fi ve per cent is successfully recycled back into the same


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Dec 2025/Jan 2026


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