Flexible Packaging
Can recycle-ready flexible packaging light the fuse of real change?
Selin Bahar Mesulam, flexibles business director at Korozo Group I
t’s a familiar picture, isn’t it? Consumers are standing in their kitchens, holding an empty pouch in their hands. They want to do the right thing, but they are not sure; can this be recycled? Should it go in the recycling bin? Do I take it back to the shop? This moment of uncertainty is repeated millions of times a day across the globe and it is at the heart of one of the most pressing challenges facing brands and the packaging industry today. Can focusing on recycle-ready and recyclable packaging and communicating that effectively light the fuse of real change?
THE SHIFT TOWARDS TRUE RECYCLABILITY The growing focus on recyclable structures in flexible packaging is driven by multiple factors, including consumer demand and legislative changes, such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and incoming changes surrounding Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), making brands and their supply chains accountable for waste recovery costs. We cannot afford to compromise on quality either, so creating recyclable flexible packaging that maintains performance is a complex challenge that requires us to push technology harder than ever before.
Increasingly, sustainability is being viewed through the lens of how effectively we can close the material loop and reduce our reliance on virgin materials. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are a key tool in this context, helping us understand the full environmental impact of packaging from cradle to grave or the target, cradle to cradle. Our approach to creating recycle-ready packaging at Korozo Group involves a holistic re-evaluation of packaging design, informed by comprehensive LCAs. We focus on developing structures that are compatible with existing recycling streams without compromising on functionality. This involves innovative use of materials, novel barrier technologies and rethinking packaging formats. Mixed material flexible packaging has
been a recycling sticking point for a long time, so it is about time we rewrote the packaging rulebook.
MAKING KERBSIDE RECYCLING MORE EFFECTIVE
One of the most significant changes we anticipate is in making kerbside recycling more effective. As humans, we want to effect change, but also want it to be convenient. The general public’s reaction to Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) and similar initiatives requiring consumers to bring packaging back to the point of sale has been lukewarm and underscores a key issue; we need to align our sustainability efforts with consumer needs and lifestyles. Our R&D teams are working on advanced
film technologies that not only provide excellent barrier properties using
single-material constructions, but are also easily identifiable and sortable in existing recycling streams, like our Koroform-RCY range offers high-performance, recycle-ready solutions for modified atmosphere (MAP) and vacuum packaging applications. When we talk about designing with recyclability in mind from the very start, this is exactly what we mean.
BALANCING PERFORMANCE, SUSTAINABILITY AND CONVENIENCE The journey towards fully sustainable flexible packaging requires a delicate balance between performance, sustainability and consumer convenience. While recyclability is crucial, it cannot come at the cost of packaging functionality or user experience. If nobody is buying a product because the packaging is poor quality, whether it’s recyclable at kerbside or not becomes a moot point. This balance is even more critical in applications such as food packaging, where barrier properties are essential for food safety, to reduce contamination, deterioration and extend shelf life, ultimately to reduce waste. Can focusing on recycle-ready and recyclable packaging light the fuse of real change? We believe it can. Through solutions that are not only recyclable, but easily recyclable in existing kerbside systems, we are creating a more robust circular economy that aligns with consumer needs and lifestyles.
The future of flexible packaging is undoubtedly challenging, particularly with twists and turns ahead as new legislation comes to fruition. However, it is also full of opportunity. As we develop more sustainable flexible packaging solutions by designing with recycling front of mind from the outset, we see exciting possibilities emerging.
Through the efforts of innovative and disruptive companies, we can light the fuse of real change, creating packaging solutions that are not just fit for the future, but that actively shape a more sustainable world.
20
September 2024
www.convertermag.com
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 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
