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WASTE MANAGEMENT 1. Heavily soiled pots, tubs, and trays


One of the most cited scenarios where compostable packaging could come in useful is with food contact packaging, where the product is heavily contaminated by food waste and difficult for consumers to clean – such as microwavable ready meal trays. Instead, a compostable microwavable tray


could be placed into a food waste bin in areas where industrial composting facilities exist or, depending on the material, into a home composter. Any leftover food within the tray would then become compost rather than food waste sent to landfill. This would also reduce the number of trays being sent to landfill and improve the quality of recyclables by keeping contaminated products out of recycling bins.


2. Flexible Food ContaCt paCkaging


Flexible plastic wrap is a popular feature in food and beverage applications in everything from single-serve condiment sachets to prepacked, ready-made salads and convenience pouches. However, these materials can be challenging – and costly – from a recycling perspective, as they can stick together and get tangled with other recyclables. Compostable plastics could have a role to


play here – especially where products are contaminated with food, as in the case of single-serve sachets. In such a scenario, compostable packaging and any leftovers could be disposed of together into a food waste bin for collection and treatment.


3. items destined For tHe Compost pile


Certain items regularly end up in home compost, or organic waste collection, despite containing conventional, non-compostable plastic. Such items include tea bags, which many consumers incorrectly assume to be entirely compostable, and fruit and vegetable stickers often disposed of alongside fruit and vegetable peelings. In these instances, where conventional plastics


regularly end up in organic waste, it makes sense to switch to compostable alternatives to improve the quality of the final compost. Interestingly, WRAP highlights teabags as one of the only areas where compostable plastic packaging should always be used in place of traditional plastics because they are regularly placed within the organic waste collection.


get tHe labelling rigHt Ensuring consumer awareness of correct disposal methods is of the utmost importance when considering the use of compostable plastic solutions. Manufacturers using compostable plastics should ensure that all items are clearly labelled to avoid the risk of compostable


materials being disposed of inappropriately and contaminating the natural environment or conventional plastic recycling systems. Considerations should bear in mind the


differences in regional recycling systems – for example, when using industrially compostable materials, brands should advise how to dispose of an item in the absence of an industrial composting facility. WRAP advises that manufacturers consider


labelling which informs consumers how items should be disposed of, rather than using statements, such as ‘100 per cent compostable’, without disposal information. Where on-pack space is at a premium,


information could be included within a 2D code, such as a QR or Data Matrix code, to provide easily accessible information to consumers via a smartphone or tablet. The beauty of using a 2D code for applications such as this is that a brand is not limited in the amount of information it can provide. Standards such as GS1 Digital Link, could be


utilised to identify a consumer’s location and provide personalised information based on their regional recycling capabilities – potentially even linking to the nearest available recycling point. In addition, brands can use product coding and marking to assist in the identification of packaging types at recycling centres and allow for the removal of compostable material that has ended up in plastic recycling. Projects supporting such initiatives include Holy Grail 2.0 which utilises digital watermarking for product identification.


ConClusion Compostable materials are an exciting new development in the packaging market. However, as with any switch in materials, the use of compostable plastic packaging requires careful consideration. In addition, any brand considering a switch in packaging solutions should enlist responsible and experienced supply chain and manufacturing partners to minimise the risk of change. All brands should partner with an


experienced coding and marking provider who can support sustainability design with coding solutions for compostable plastics, advise on appropriate labelling choices, and help ensure products will be accepted by retailers, valued by consumers, and trusted by everyone with an environmental concern.


Domino Printing Sciences www.domino-printing.com


InDuStrIal ComPlIanCe | JulY/auGuSt 2022 19


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