PACKAGING
SMALL STEPS IN MATERIAL SCIENCE CAN LEAD TO GREAT LEAPS FOR PACKAGING
Innovation does not always arrive in light bulb moments. Sometimes it’s the result of years of painstaking research and testing. These harsh reality checks can produce the strongest possible results, argues Martin Settle, senior manager of Polymer Science in Sustainability and Packaging at Reckitt.
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hen it comes to material science, the smallest details are inseparable from adjusting the structure of a molecule by a single atom can completely change the
properties of a material. Fortunately, people like Martin Settle thrive when unpicking these minute details that others might miss. group of speakers for the renowned Packaging Innovations and Empack conference agenda in February, brings a wealth of knowledge to the discussion of material science in packaging. With a clear-eyed focus on sustainability and practical applications, he is set to address the complex balancing act required to develop sustainable, commercially viable packaging solutions.
“People often overlook the critical role material science plays in packaging development,” he tells Packaging Innovations. “The right material can make or break a product. For instance, I could
design a bottle made entirely from 100 percent recycled content that is chemically recyclable without limit, but the reality is that no one will pay for it.
“I can tell you that we have materials that could be used tomorrow to make sustainable products, but you wouldn’t buy them because they’d cost too much. That’s the real issue.” As the Senior Manager of Polymer Science in Sustainability and Packaging at health, hygiene and nutrition giant Reckitt, the company behind household name brands like Nurofen, Dettol and Vanish, this demonstrates the kind of problems packaging designers have to grapple with daily. As Martin says, anyone offering easy solutions to those problems should be viewed with scepticism.
“There’s a lot of misinformation and greenwashing around the industry that needs to be debunked. We should be evaluating every solution with a focus on whether it provides true material reduction, whether it actually reduces energy consumption, not just in manufacturing, but also in transport and sourcing raw materials. “Is it a renewable resource? Can it be
replenished? Can you plant trees to replace the ones used for paper production? Is there a recyclable component that can be added to reduce environmental impact? For example, it takes about 14 trees to produce a tonne of paper, depending on the grade. If we switched everything to paper, we’d need a whole new planet. It’s just not practical. Remember, trees don’t grow in them to mature and we don’t have enough land space. It’s as simple as that.
“The technology exists, some of it’s in its infancy, some is limited and paper is a prime example of that. The lack of understanding about these limitations is the main problem.”
EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
Martin is careful to qualify his comments on paper, just as paper is not the solution to every problem, there are just as many applications where it works just as well. “We need a clear they’re used and their practical limits. If I had to wrap a chocolate bar, I could put it in paper tomorrow, no problem. A cereal bar could also be in paper, but that paper would need to be coated with plastic. If it’s a pouch for liquid hand soap? Not a chance.”
There are no heroes and villains in this story, just complex compromises. That applies to exciting new innovations as much as it does to the existing technologies that the industry is working hard to improve. “Take biopolymers,” he says. For Europe, they’re a nightmare because Europe and the UK are taxed based on recyclability and
30 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024/25 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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