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Greenwashing is out: companies need to get serious about their sustainability journey

Posted on November 8, 2023 by dishanth

Businesses are increasingly being held accountable for their environmental and social impact. And Siegwerk, a global provider of inks and coatings for packaging, has taken a leading role in driving sustainability within the sector. The company is committed to producing packaging solutions to drive a circular economy for the industry, and supporting sustainable transitions along its supply chain.

Like many companies, Siegwerk has taken an incremental approach to expanding its sustainability strategy. “We started our sustainability journey by looking at how our products could better enable a circular economy,” says Alina Marm, Global Head of Sustainability and Circular Economy at Siegwerk. “That laid the groundwork for us to launch an entire new strategy on sustainability with a broad scope, covering carbon neutrality targets and diversity as a quantifiable target, but also looking at the conditions in our supply chain and creating transparency around these conditions in order to continuously improve.”

For Marm, the three primary aspects that define sustainable packaging are true circularity, carbon neutrality and fairness in the supply chain: “Carbon neutrality meaning zero emissions, and fairness in the supply chain meaning that there’s nobody who suffers as a result of your business practices.”

There is an increased need for transparency around companies’ sustainability data. Consumers are more educated about greenwashing and will no longer just take companies at their word when it comes to sustainability claims. Special interest groups such as NGOs are also publicly highlighting discrepancies between company commitments and performance.

“There is a huge regulatory push to bring sustainability reporting on par with financial reporting. And this is a game-changer. It’s going to make it much easier for consumers to look up data and make decisions about which products to buy and which companies to support,” Marm says.

But this is one area that is severely lagging. A survey conducted by Deloitte in April 2022 revealed that only 3 per cent of consumer companies say they produce sustainability data that is as accurate and verifiable as their financial data. Siegwerk is one of the first companies in its sector to commit to reporting on the carbon footprint of its products. “There is no option but to embrace sustainability holistically,” says Marm. “It’s not just about doing the right thing, it’s also about remaining competitive and future-proofing your business.”

Source Independent

Packaging Solutions You Can Eat

Posted on March 30, 2023 by dishanth

Tomorrow Machine has designed GoneShells, a biodegradable juice bottle made from potato starch.

Most of the packaging we use today is single-use, meaning it’s meant to serve one purpose and then discarded after. On top of that, a lot of the packaging cannot be recycled due to the assortment of materials used to make them. Globally, we produce about 400 million tons of plastic waste yearly and the plastic containers we throw away take up to 450 years to degrade. A Swedish product design studio specializing in package, product and food concepts may have a sustainable solution to our wasteful plastic consumption.

The designers have created GoneShells, a biodegradable juice bottle. The bottle is made from a potato-starch material and coated in a bio-based water-resistant barrier on both the inside and outside to preserve the liquid it contains. The packaging can be home-composted, eaten or dissolved in water. The bottle is designed to be peeled into a spiral formation, similar to peeling an orange. Doing so breaks the barrier and immediately begins the material’s decomposition process. As long as the decomposition process isn’t activated, the packaging works similarly to a traditional plastic bottle.

The product was designed to tackle landfill waste and address the lack of recycling and industrial compositing facilities in some parts of the world. The designers also wanted to create packaging that would last the same amount of time as the contents inside. The designers are also using existing equipment designed to process fossil fuel-based thermoplastics. These methods and inexpensive raw materials will help bring GoneShells to markets. The only other thing the designers are working on to make this packaging 100% sustainable is the foiling letters that appear on the bottles. They are working on a printing solution that will follow the bottle concept.

Tomorrow Machine is also known for its This Too Shall Pass line, where the packaging is made with the same short life span as the food they contain. Their olive oil packaging is made out of caramelized sugar coated with wax. To use the contents inside, you crack it open like an egg. Once it is open, the wax no longer protects, and sugar and the package will melt when it comes in contact with water. Their smoothie packaging is made of agar-agar seaweed gel, and water is designed for drinks with a short life and needs refrigeration. It can be opened like a juice box by picking the top. Like the GoneShells, their packaging for Basmati Rice is wrapped in beeswax and can be opened by peeling the packaging.

Tomorrow Machine has a very innovative way to reduce single-use waste. By introducing GoneShells to markets worldwide, we can reduce the raw materials used to produce plastic and drastically minimize the waste that ends up in the landfill every year.

Source Happy Eco News

Pepsico promises pepped up packaging position

Posted on December 6, 2022 by dishanth

PepsiCo yesterday announced a new global packaging goal to double the percentage of beverage servings it sells through reusable models from 10 to 20 per cent by 2030, vowing to deploy “disruptive innovation” to boost the use of refillable drinks packaging worldwide.

Unveiled as part of the soft drinks giant’s PepsiCo Positive (pep+) sustainability strategy, the company said the new target would build on its $3.2bn investment in 2018 to acquire SodaStream and its decision to sign up to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.

The new commitment to boost packaging reuse across its products is also designed to help deliver on the company’s overarching target to reduce virgin plastic per serving by 50 per cent by 2030 and deliver net zero emissions by 2040.

The company said it would pursue a four-point plan to meet the new target which would see it expand its SodaStream business, including to commercial customers; build out its refillable plastic and glass bottle offerings in partnership with PepsiCo bottlers; expand its fountain drinks business that make use of reusable cups; and work to boost the market for powders and concentrates.

PepsiCo said it already has reusable packaging solutions on offer in more than 80 markets, including refillable and returnable glass and plastic programs in a host of major markets including Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Chile, Germany, and the Philippines.

“Fundamentally transforming the traditional beverage consumption model will require making reusable and refillable options accessible and convenient, at scale, for European consumers – and that’s what we aim to do,” said Katharina Stenholm, chief sustainability officer at PepsiCo Europe. “This is complementing our continuous efforts on scaling recycling. Europe is leading the way in accelerating investment in disruptive technology and innovation to work towards our new packaging goals. Through collaboration with our partners and European institutions, we are committed to creating a viable circular economy for beverage packaging in Europe.”

The new target was welcomed by Sander Defruyt, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastic Initiative Lead, who urged other leading drinks brands to follow suit.

“We know we cannot recycle our way out of this plastic pollution crisis,” he said. “By avoiding single-use packaging waste in the first place, reuse business models are an important part of creating a circular economy. Our latest Global Commitment report illustrated the lack of progress on reuse across the industry, and highlighted a lack of ambition when it comes to reuse strategies. We welcome this significant step forward by PepsiCo and we hope other global brands will follow suit and similarly set quantitative reuse targets helping to reduce their use of virgin plastics in packaging.”

The news comes just days after the European Commission unveiled sweeping new plans to crack down on packaging waster, which include proposals to ban a host of single use packaging products and promote the use of reusable options where possible.

Source BusinessGreen

Ahlstrom advances base paper technology to develop replacement solutions for plastic and film packaging

Posted on December 5, 2022December 5, 2022 by dishanth

Through continued innovation and collaboration with brand owners, Ahlstrom has identified specific technology enabling highly developed base papers – the key to solving the barrier requirements in flexible packaging, while still utilizing the inherent end-of-life benefits that paper has to offer. Ahlstrom has the unique set of capabilities and wide breadth of technical applications to allow them to develop some of the strongest performing base papers available
“Paper substrates can be engineered to exploit the inherent value of cellulose itself,” explained Zack Leimkuehler, Vice President Business Development for Ahlstrom. “Cellulose by itself is a very good barrier, and highly developed base papers can deliver barrier properties.”

Paper is an ideal material for flexible packaging applications, and already has a broad field-of-use from good flexibility and folding characteristics to printability. Paper is easily sealable and glueable, laminating well to other structures. In addition, paper functions effectively through challenging converting processes.

Through their research, Ahlstrom has continued to advance its base paper development to achieve barrier properties which are fundamental to unlocking the sustainability benefits paper can bring to flexible packaging applications. Base paper development and optimization dramatically improves paper performance in barrier properties.

“The base papers we have developed and continue to advance, are the best to create flexible packaging with combined barrier technology,” Leimkuehler continued. “The end-use packaging applications we have commercialized are the first in the world to exhibit all the necessary attributes needed to replace traditional plastic-based structures. We have already developed and launched the ability to solve the substitution for PFAS with our proprietary FluoroFree® technology, demonstrating grease-barrier equivalent to that of historic performance. As an example, using this knowledge we have unlocked the potential of replacing plastic-based components in a traditional pet food bag with materials that can maintain freshness and storage while providing a kerbside recyclable solution.”

“We are well positioned to push the boundaries of what fiber-based flexible packaging can do,” said, Robin Guillaud, Executive Vice President Sustainability, Innovation, and Marketing. “A constant process of base paper innovation, product development and design is in Ahlstrom’s DNA and enables us to respond to the needs of our customers, which in turn are affected by end-user behaviour. This enables flexibility throughout the value chain and speed-to-market of sustainable packaging solutions and continues to position Ahlstrom as the preferred specialty sustainable packaging supplier in the marketplace.”

Source Sustainable Packaging News

Sustainability initiatives at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Posted on November 2, 2022November 2, 2022 by dishanth

Coca-Cola’s iconic bottles are internationally recognised, but Coca-Cola Europacific Partners aims to implement a more sustainable purpose for used bottles
For Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Lucia Karina is the Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director. In her role, Karina is passionate about implementing sustainable strategies, utilising green energy and working together with stakeholders to support local communities.

“We embed our sustainability initiatives into our activities,” explains Karina. “Not only for the supply chain section, but also in the commercial side. So this forward strategy consists of water management, sustainable packaging, the climate, our society and the supply chain. We are also looking at how we can reduce our sugar content in our drinks.”

The company is also working to implement a reuse or recycle policy, to minimise the volume of Coca-Cola products going to landfill.

“We are removing unnecessary and hard-to-recycle packaging. We want to make sure that 100% of our packaging actually is recyclable.”

Coca-Cola has increased the recycled content in its packaging to reduce the use of new material, including plastic made from fossil-fuels. In Indonesia, the company joined with Dynapack Asia in a joint venture and built a PET recycling facility, with a capacity for 25,000 tonnes every year.

“In Indonesia we also built the social foundation Mahija Parahita Nusantara. This is a non-profit foundation and we are trying to work to improve the lives and welfare of the waste pickers that work in these communities. We want to ensure that we increase the quality of the collection for the feedstock of the Amandina Bumi Nusantara recycling PET.”

Source Sustainability

PepsiCo UK invests in sustainable food packaging innovations

Posted on October 20, 2022October 20, 2022 by dishanth

PepsiCo UK, Walkers parent company, is introducing cardboard boxes for its multi-packs of crisps in a bid to remove tonnes of plastic from its supply chain
PepsiCo UK has recently announced a £14mn investment in new sustainable food packaging innovations that will remove 250 tonnes of virgin plastic from its supply chain annually.

The outer plastic packaging on millions of Walkers 22 and 24 bag multipacks will be replaced with a new cardboard design which reduces the amount of virgin plastic the company uses.

“We are constantly exploring new scalable solutions and this investment marks an important step forward, delivering a huge reduction in virgin plastic across some of our best-selling ranges, while also helping to tackle our carbon footprint,” says Simon Devaney, Sustainable Packaging Director, PepsiCo UK & Ireland.

“Reducing virgin plastic across our supply chain is a key part of our commitment to creating a world where packaging never becomes waste.”

After a successful trial with Tesco, the new and improved multipack outer packaging will be on-shelves in all major supermarkets in the UK in the coming weeks.

Saving 250 tonnes of plastic from the supply chain

Alongside the new packaging design, PepsiCo has also invested in a new stretch film to wrap around its pallets before these are distributed to retailers.

This new film is produced using nanotechnology which puts tiny air bubbles into the film to reduce the amount of plastic used, while retaining the same strength and stretch needed to protect the crisps as they travel to stores across the country.

According to the company, the use of this new technology will lead to a 40% reduction in virgin plastic year on year, compared to the previous film. Reducing the amount of fossil-fuel based virgin plastic in the shrink wrap will also reduce the company’s annual carbon emissions by 465 tonnes.

The investment marks a major step towards PepsiCo’s goal of eliminating virgin fossil-based plastic from its crisp and snack bags across Europe by 2030.

In the UK, the company is also planning to trial new solutions, including packaging made from recycled plastic for its snack bags. This all forms part of PepsiCo Positive, the company’s health and sustainability transformation plan, which includes an ambition of reaching net zero emissions by 2040.

Source edie

S’pore, US scientists create bacteria-killing, biodegradable food packaging material

Posted on December 29, 2021 by dishanth

Perishables such as fruit and meat are often at the mercy of harmful bacteria, especially when left for a long time outside the refrigerator.

To salvage such food items, scientists have created a biodegradable packaging material that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi that sprout on fresh produce.

The packaging also extends the lifespan of strawberries by up to a week. Berries kept in ordinary boxes stay fresh for only four days.

The material – which resembles plastic – was created by researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the United States.

The material is made from corn protein, starch and other naturally derived substances, and is infused with a cocktail of natural antimicrobial compounds such as the oil from thyme, and citric acid.

Lab experiments found that when the material detected rising humidity levels and enzymes from harmful bacteria, its fibres released minuscule amounts of the antimicrobial compounds that got rid of the bacteria.

The compounds can kill bacteria or fungi growing on both the food and the material. Dangerous microbes that thrive in food include E.coli and listeria, which causes one of the most serious forms of food poisoning.

The packaging is suitable to hold food items such as raw meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and ready-to-eat meals, said Professor Mary Chan, the director of NTU’s Centre for Antimicrobial Bioengineering who co-led the project.

She added that the team’s aim is to replace conventional plastic packaging with the new material that will also double the shelf life of produce.

“Vegetables are a source of wastage because even if they are refrigerated, they will continue to respire, leading to spoilage after a week or two. With the anti-microbial packaging, there is a chance to extend their shelf life… and also make the vegetables and fruits look fresh with time,” she said.

Prof Chan noted that while there is anti-microbial packaging already available in the market, the team’s material is believed to be the only one that is both biodegradable and able to release the bacteria-killing compounds only when needed, such as when there is a rise in humidity.

This means that the food will not be overly exposed to anti-microbial compounds.

A comparison of strawberries that have been protected by the packaging (left) and those which have not. The packaging was found to extend the lifespan of strawberries by up to a week. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

The new material was made through a process called electro-spinning – where the corn protein, the antimicrobial compounds with cellulose and an acid are drawn into tubes using electric force, and turned into fibres.

Harvard T.H. Chan School’s Adjunct Professor Philip Demokritou, an environmental health expert, noted that the new packaging would help to manage the triple threats of food safety, food waste and unsustainable packaging.

The research team’s project was published in October in the peer-reviewed journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Packaging waste, including plastics, makes up about one-third of domestic waste in Singapore, and is a key waste stream.

As part of the nation’s efforts to reduce packaging waste, producers of packaged products and retailers, such as supermarkets with an annual turnover of more than $10 million, will be required to submit data and develop plans to reduce, reuse or recycle their packaging materials by March 31 next year.

The researchers hope to scale up their technology with an industrial partner, and to commercialise their food packaging within two years.

They are currently working to fine-tune and optimise the material’s manufacturing process and its functionality. They are also looking into other types of biopolymers – beyond corn protein – to create different forms of sustainable packaging.

NTU’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering principal research fellow Suresh Kumar Raman Pillai and Centre for Antimicrobial Bioengineering director Mary Chan. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

Prof Chan said their material will cost about 50 per cent more than ordinary plastic packaging.

ComCrop – a local company that pioneered urban rooftop farming – had assessed the viability of the scientists’ packaging material.

ComCrop chief executive Peter Barber said: “As ComCrop looks to ramp up products to boost Singapore’s food production capabilities, the volume of packaging we need will increase.

“The wrapping’s antimicrobial properties could potentially extend the shelf life of our vegetables.”

He added that the new packaging has to be made cost effective.

“The first three things Singapore supermarket consumers will check are: price, price and price,” said Mr Barber.

Source The Straits Times