Chocolate Packaging
Specifications on my plastic bags called for the use of
BioBopp, a clear film that is recyclable. “I do believe there are many alternatives to BioBopp including plant based plastics,” says Paul. Many use the term ‘sustainable’ packaging, but Paul
believes it is much harder to claim that standard when there are many definitions of the word. He asks: “How do you define it? Will the materials you specify for your packaging pass the cradle to grave test? I think it is hard to address the question of packaging that is sustainable when there is no clear cut definition of sustainability.” “In my opinion, functionality, branding, sustainability
and packaging will depend on the final cost of the package and will it fit a chocolatiers budget,” he states.
The sustainability of plastic: What you didn’t know Over the years, plastic has had a bad rap, and other packaging options, such as glass, cardboard, and metal, are often seen as much more environmentally friendly. However, when you consider the full lifecycles of these materials and products, as Paul is saying, it’s not always that simple. Since it came to prominence in the 1950s, plastic has
become one of the most common and useful packaging materials thanks to its many benefits. The lightweight, durable, hygienic, and shatterproof properties of plastic make it ideal for use across a multitude of industries. Kennedy’s
Confection speaks to food
specialists, Waddington, to discuss some common misconceptions around plastic, how it’s changing, and why it remains incredibly useful to us today. Plastic doesn’t take a lot of energy to make: One assumption made about plastic is that it requires a
36 Kennedy’s Confection October 2022
lot of energy to produce. Synthetic plastic is mainly manufactured from crude oil or natural gas, which is then refined into petroleum products and then turned into polymers through polymerisation. While the process of heating, cooling, and chemical treatment seems complicated and expensive, it is more efficient than other materials. An efficient manufacturing of plastic requires about 40% less energy than the manufacturing of cardboard. Glass is another material that requires a lot more natural resources and energy to produce, which according to one study, could have four times the impact compared to plastic production. Materials such as glass and cardboard can also be
heavier meaning that more fuel could be needed during transportation. Therefore, there will be more carbon emissions that occur outside of the manufacturing process. Plastics are recyclable: Unlike what you may have heard,
most types of plastic are, in fact, recyclable. However, it’s when items are made using a combination
packaging
of different types of plastic and other additives and materials, that it gets more difficult and expensive to recycle them, which is why mono-material plastics have historically been more easily recycled by reprocessors. There’s also a limit on how many times plastic can be recycled before it can no longer be used, whereas other materials like aluminium and glass can be recycled almost infinitely. But the energy required to heat and melt them for recycling is much more than that required to recycle mono-material plastics, making the carbon footprint of recycling them much higher. Contamination can also pose a huge problem. Dirt, food,
or other contaminants make plastic difficult to recycle and adds £93 to each tonne of plastic waste’s disposal cost, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
KennedysConfection.com
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