For example, McCormick Place and show organizer, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, worked with Dow, the official sustainability partner and the official sponsor of show floor recycling at PACK EXPO International (PEI), to minimize the environmental impact of the event and divert as much waste as possible from landfills.

One of the strongest components of all PACK EXPO exhibitions is roster of educational sessions, and this year was no exception. There were myriad sustainability-related educational presentations at the show, which tackled topics such as sustainable technology and materials innovations, the use of recycled content and renewable materials, transformation of waste, circularity, refill/reuse options, life cycle assessment, sustainable package design, reduction in emissions, extended producer responsibility, and data collection.

In the Plastics Sustainability Through Collaboration session, Patrick Krieger, vice president, sustainability at the Plastics Industry Association (PIA), discussed how the packaging industry is evolving to develop solutions that are more circular and sustainable and how the plastic packaging value chain is coming together to promote innovative products and programs that address industry needs. Krieger said that with regard to sustainability, the plastics industry is focusing on three main areas:

• Promoting a circular plastics economy
• Eliminating plastic in the environment
• Using resources responsibly.

One of the PIA’s newest programs is Operation Clean Sweep, which promotes zero plastic loss, that is, making sure no resin is lost during manufacturing.

In the Sustainability Central pavilion, Amazon – which stated it has reduced packaging per shipment by 41% since 2015 – presented the Elevating Packaging for E-Commerce to Boost Customer Experience session. Amazon executives discussed how to enhance the customer experience while protecting products and minimizing packaging waste. “Shoppers want less packaging, they want it to be recyclable, and they are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging,” said Kirsten Freiheit, head of North America partner engagement, sustainable packaging at Amazon. She shared that although shoppers want reduced packaging, e-commerce packaging needs more protection.

Heather Smith, senior business development manager, sustainable packaging at Amazon informed attendees how companies can improve customer satisfaction with packaging design, so “you can build excitement with the ‘unboxing experience’.” She added that branded packaging enhances customer experience.

The Paper & Packaging Board, which was exhibiting in the Sustainability Central pavilion, highlighted its new campaign to help promote carton recycling. P&PB executives, noting that 89% of consumers prefer paper-based shipping materials, explained that food and beverage cartons are made primarily out of responsibly-sourced paperboard, a renewable, plant-based material, and contain some of the highest quality fiber available in the recycling industry. P&PB’s new program wants companies to add the recycling logo to their carton packages to remind consumers to recycle their cartons. Carton recycling is available to more than 62% of US households and that number is growing every day. Recycled cartons become paper towels, tissues, office and writing paper, and sustainable building materials to name just few of the many products.

There were also a number of sessions dealing with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or Packaging Producer Responsibility. EPR is a public policy mechanism that requires packaging producers (generally product brand owners) to help fund the recovery of their packaging. How funding is set, what the program goals are and who manages the system differs across the various states that have passed legislation. In 2025, many packaging policies relating to EPR will take effect. For example, California’s EPR law includes specific source reduction requirements for plastic packaging. Several other states are also now considering source reduction requirements though legislation: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

The post The packaging and processing industries continue strengthening their sustainability efforts appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

Packaging has always been a balancing act. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies must weigh cost versus performance and market appeal versus machinability. As interest in sustainable packaging has grown, brand owners also must balance circularity with price, safety, distribution requirements, material availability, and overall environmental impact. This requires a dialogue among stakeholders about packaging design, material choices, and end-of-life disposal options.

To begin this conversation, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and AMERIPEN (the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment) have published the 2023 PACKAGING COMPASS: Evaluating Trends in US Packaging Design Over the Next Decade and Implications for the Future of a Circular Packaging System. The study and accompanying infographic identify key trends in packaging design and materials and the implications of these trends on legislation and the recovery systems for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies.

By releasing this deep dive into the trends driving the circular packaging system, PMMI hopes to facilitate an industry dialogue that will help close the gap between design needs and recovery needs. Based on extensive research and analysis, the study’s goal is to spark a conversation on trends, present forecasts for the coming decade, and recognise the role of multiple stakeholders in advancing a circular packaging system.

The 10-year forecasts and materials sales projections indicate plastic packaging, particularly the flexible pouch format; recycled-content packaging, primarily paper and plastic; and compostable packaging will experience the highest demand, although the latter represents a small share of the market. Despite the disparity in usage, these three formats have the same hurdles to overcome, a lack of end-of-life recovery infrastructure as well as effective legislative and investment strategies.

A survey of 394 CPG brands and retailers shows:

• 75 percent use plastics in packaging
• 61 percent use paper
• 14 percent use glass
• 13 percent use metal

Projections show plastics will grow across every category, and the use of flexible film will expand at a 4-6 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), slightly above the 3-4 percent CAGR for plastics overall. Plastic films offer significant operational and sustainability benefits. Tensile strength delivers more protection with less material. Light weight and compact footprint reduce carbon emissions during distribution. Highly customisable materials run efficiently on filling lines and reduce overall cost and cycle time. Consumers appreciate the format’s light weight, reduced shelf space requirements, and potential for easy-opening and resealing features.

Although usage continues to grow, figures from the Recycling Partnership show only 1.9 percent of the US population has access to flexible film recycling. Most of this film is recovered from retail drop-off programs, but consumer participation in these programs is low. As a result, establishing a circular economy for flexible films will necessitate a substantial expansion in recycling infrastructure that involves better collection, sortation, and end-of-life reprocessing, potentially including widespread use of chemical recycling. The report explains chemical recycling is an emerging technology that reverts materials to their original monomers. Its adoption could enhance opportunities for the circular reuse of flexible films by increasing collection, lowering sortation requirements, and improving recycled resin quality by reducing contamination, colour, or scent concerns, thereby simplifying the regulatory acceptance of recycled resins for food-contact applications.

Compostable packaging has a projected CAGR of 15-16 percent during the next decade and is receiving a lot of attention because there is a perception that it offers a less-complicated end-of-life option. However, composting also suffers from a lack of infrastructure. According to statistics from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, only 27 percent of the U.S. population has access to curbside composting programs, and only 11 percent of those composting programs accept packaging.

To realise the full circular potential of compostable packaging, the US needs to increase consumer access to composting by investing in the collection of compostable materials and in expanded access to composting facilities that accept food scraps along with packaging. As the US looks at investments into the necessary collection and processing infrastructure, the most immediate impact is likely to be attained if closed systems like stadiums, foodservice outlets, and cafeterias were implemented before household collection programs.

Recycled-content packaging is a popular path toward circularity. Design for recycling guidelines have been developed by several organizations and are helping the packaging industry choose combinations of polymers, labels, and additives that do not hinder a package’s recyclability. Many brand owners use these guidelines to help meet commitments to increase the use of recycled content. Unfortunately, a disconnect between strong demand and insufficient supply and processing capacity for recycled resin must be overcome. Like flexible packaging, potential solutions lie in simplified and improved collection, better sortation techniques, and greater capacity for end-of-life reprocessing. Chemical recycling could be a potential way to increase capacity as well as recycled resin quality.

Improving infrastructure

Achieving a circular economy depends on improving the infrastructure for collection, sortation, and end-of-life reprocessing. Policy changes will be needed to achieve these objectives. According to the report, establishing a circular economy will depend on the development of:

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR programmes shift financial and operational responsibility for end-of-life management of products to producers instead of taxpayers and the government. As of spring 2023, four states (California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon) have enacted EPR requirements, and more states are considering EPR bills. However, a national law would overcome a patchwork of differing state requirements and simplify compliance.

The research within this study indicates EPR programmes should include a focus on ways to improve the quality and quantity of recycled materials. Key considerations should explore how best to invest in the composting infrastructure, including packaging, and address how to handle hard-to-recycle materials by investing in collection and sortation technology and supporting end-market development. The data also show package design needs to consider many factors beyond design for recycling. Leveraging EPR to help balance all the design variables should create benefits for each stakeholder.

• Universal Access. Providing all households with convenient and consistent access to recycling and composting services would increase collection.
• Standardised Definitions. Definitions for commonly used terms like recycling and composting would ensure stakeholders are communicating a consistent message and reduce consumer confusion.
• Alternatives to Material Bans. Material bans can prevent CPG companies from choosing the optimum packaging material and increase a product’s environmental impact. Shifting from material bans to dialogues about collection, sorting and reprocessing gives brand owners the freedom to pick the best option.
• Recovery Innovation. Federal investments into programs uncovering emerging science and data are needed to drive efficiencies across packaging design and waste management.
• Data Collection. Consistent data collection will help measure and benchmark the performance of a circular packaging economy.
• Reusables Infrastructure. Reusables are another promising option to achieve circularity. However, as with other options, infrastructure is lacking, and investment is needed. According to the report, successful reusable packaging programs depend on redesigning distribution systems for reverse logistics. This will involve establishing safe and hygienic drop-off or pick-up collection points, which are convenient to consumers, and equipping production lines for washing and refilling. Currently, the adoption of reusables poses a daunting challenge for many packaging companies due to the costs to develop and scale a system to achieve a significant impact. A collaborative strategy that incentivises innovation is needed. Understanding the challenges and opportunities of reusables will require participation from a wide range of stakeholders.

Conclusion

A circular economy can be achieved by focusing on how best to invest in recycling and composting infrastructure across the US and tying that dialogue to what is happening with packaging design and the multiple variables packaging designers must juggle. Success will depend on how well members of the packaging value chain understand each other’s challenges and opportunities.

• Jorge Izquierdo is vice president of market development for PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Based in Herndon, Virgina, PMMI organises the Pack Expo portfolio of trade shows. This year’s Pack Expo Las Vegas takes place 11-13 September. To register or for more information, visit packexpolasvegas.com.

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