SUSTAINABILITY
H
owever, the truth is much more nuanced. The applications and impact of PVC versus PET in shrink sleeving, for example, are vastly different. And, when it comes to
developing sustainable packaging, it’s crucial to understand distinctions at a detailed level. If the aim is to reduce carbon impact,
improve recyclability and support a functioning circular economy, then material choices have to be assessed on evidence, not just perception. Increasingly, that evidence suggests that certain types of plastic still have an important role to play in creating genuinely sustainable packaging solutions.
SLEEVING FOR SUSTAINABILITY Nobody would argue that plastics are always the most sustainable choice for packaging, but it is also undeniable that plastic as a material still serves a central purpose in many forms of packaging and is often the ‘best’ choice for that application. Coloured and printed plastic bottles have
long been a stalwart of packaging across many sectors, from food and beverage to automotive, not least because of their strength, portability, lightweight nature and visual impact they provide on shelf. However, when the packaging materials are mixed, this can make the containers hard-to-recycle, leaving brands and consumers with a challenging situation. The solution in this circumstance is,
however, not to eliminate plastic, but to find a resolution which incorporates recycled content and recyclable plastic without losing the look and feel associated with the original packaging. In these scenarios, sleeving can provide the
answer. By using a 100 per cent recyclable sleeve such as EcoFloat, brands can switch away from coloured or printed plastic to clear PET, without losing the colour and design for which their product is known. This combination of clear PET and recyclable
sleeve is a major development for sectors where coloured or opaque plastic dominates. The dairy category, for example, has long relied on white plastic to comply with opacity standards. But, with brands such as Bio&Me leading the charge on switching away from hard-to-recycle coloured plastic to sleeved solutions, the use of more sustainable plastic packaging options is only likely to grow. In order to drive packaging sustainability
forward, it’s vital that we consider resolutions which improve plastic use, rather than eliminate it, allowing brands to meet business
WHY SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEEDS PLASTIC
In packaging, sustainability debates can become unhelpfully binary. The proliferation of single-use applications and a rise in public awareness around issues surrounding non-recycled plastic has led to a blanket perception that all plastic is bad for the planet
objectives whilst reducing environmental impact.
RECYCLABLE PLASTIC VS ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS While difficult to recycle plastics are deservedly seen as less sustainable, the reality today is that recycled and recyclable plastics can actually present a more environmentally friendly solution than alternatives which are generally seen as ‘greener’. It can be easy to take material sustainability
on face value, but life cycle impact is a vital consideration when it comes to assessing overall environmental cost. The existing abundance of plastic globally can make recycled and recyclable plastic options a more sustainable option overall when compared to virgin materials which incur further emissions via their creation. Multipack handle provider, PakTech, for
instance, undertook a comparative cradle- to-grave Life Cycle Analysis between rHDPE and paperboard. The results found that the rHDPE outperformed paperboard equivalents on climate-related measures including acidification, eutrophication, smog, health impact and energy demand. In terms of global warming potential, the same study found that rHDPE handles can be between two and five
30 JUNE 2026 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
times lower in carbon impact than paperboard cartons and carriers, while also requiring less material mass. Recycled and recyclable solutions such as
rHDPE can also offer greater functionality. Plastic multipack handles, for example, are lighter, simpler and less vulnerable to moisture damage than fibre-based alternatives. They can also reduce the need for additional trays, which cuts material use in packaging further. Ultimately, sustainability cannot be judged
by material category alone. It must be judged by lifecycle performance, product protection, recoverability and the level of waste a format creates across the supply chain. As it stands, plastic is often the best choice in certain packaging applications, so rather than lobbying against the category, brands and packaging specialists need to consider how to use plastic material in the most sustainable way possible. The bottom line is this, the future of
sustainable packaging will not be defined by whether it is plastic-free, it will be defined by whether it is fit for a circular economy.
Prism
www.prismelogistics.co.uk
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