Flexible Packaging
Sustainability: a holistic view Mark Shaw, technical development manager at Parkside discusses life after use
using multi-material construction, recycling has been out of the question thanks to the extreme difficulty in separating the material into its various component parts – extremely off-putting to today’s eco-conscious consumers. Recycling, in the consumer eye, is a base- level requirement, so the wider sustainability benefits have often been easy for consumers to ignore. In order to face this challenge,
packaging manufacturers are now focused on developing a new wave of materials for use in flexible packaging construction that have a clear, integrated end-of-life management plan. With this in mind, Parkside has developed
true sense, rather a consumer demand that cannot be ignored. With over 250 of the world’s largest brands
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from Nestlé and Coca Cola to Unilever pledging to make all packaging recyclable by 2025, amongst a wealth of other environmentally-focused initiatives, all those in the packaging supply chain must look to adopt a holistic view on sustainability. Though the message given to consumers
heavily vilifies plastics there is, in reality, far more to the story; trying to eliminate plastic packaging is not the fix-all answer it has been touted as. Packaging manufacturers have long been aware that there is no one- size-fits-all approach when it comes to packaging design, and consumer education
ustainability has become so firmly solidified on the packaging agenda that it is no longer a ‘trend’ in the
is absolutely vital to create a more balanced view of plastics and packaging in general. Switching to flexible plastic packaging
from a rigid container, for example, presents significant sustainability benefits, showing that all plastics are not made equal despite the widespread one-note media attention. For the packaging converter and its logistics chain, flexible packaging uses fewer resources and less energy than other forms of packaging. It also provides significant carbon footprint savings, as it minimises the need to transport empty, ready-formed packaging. Despite the number of potential sustainability benefits achieved when switching to flexible packaging, there have been significant challenges when it comes to the end of a pack’s useful life. Given flexible packaging is traditionally created
Traditional flexible packaging is not recyclable, and packs are usually incinerated or end up in landfill. Park 2 Nature is a credible compostible alternative
Recoflex-PE, a fully-recyclable single polymer laminate with the barrier properties and sealing performance to mirror a range of commonly used laminates in flexible packaging that are not currently recycled. Designed to help the industry take steps towards achieving a circular economy, the 100 per cent polyethylene material can be recovered through the existing infrastructure designed for recycling plastic carrier bags, making it easy for consumers to recycle whenever they visit a supermarket. Over the past five years, the company has
also developed a comprehensive range of compostable paper and film barrier duplex and triplex laminate films under its Park-2- Nature brand. This range of substrates helps to ensure that there is a suitable environmentally-conscious option for the full gamut of market applications, even those such as coffee and confectionery where there can be challenging pack functionality requirements. It is clear that flexible packaging, whether recyclable or compostable, delivers numerous environmental benefits across the supply chain and communicating this message to consumers is absolutely key in achieving truly sustainable packaging.
parksideflex.com
22
March 2019
convertermag.com
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