Page 58 - Demo

PACKAGING & DESIGN FROM PAGE 55 found 31kg of plastic waste is produced per person per year (Eurostat, 2018) in Europe, while 2018 research from the United Nations shows only nine per cent of all plastic waste is being recycled and 12 per cent is incinerated, leaving 79 per cent to accumulate in landfill or the environment (United Nations, ‘Single-use plastics: a roadmap for sustainability’). With high energy costs and unsustainable carbon emissions on one hand, and vast levels of non-biodegradable plastics polluting our world on the other, the need for alternative packaging solutions is urgent. Until those alternatives are found, we must drastically reduce our use of all non-essential packaging and increase the efficiency of what, to date at least, have been wholly inadequate recycling efforts. Naked ambitions The Mintel ‘2020 Global Packaging Trends’ report talks of a “packaging reset” in which “sustainable” packaging will be supplanted by “responsible” packaging. Mintel describes this as “a practical approach brands can both promote and defend, and consumers can understand and act on”. Fortunately, many organisations are making considerable efforts to address the issues, with innovative ideas emerging regularly. In-store refill is one such approach, whereby consumers bring their own container and refill it from an in-store source, removing the need for packaging altogether. There are challenges for the retailer with such an approach, particularly in predicting the demand each day, but, over time, the process will become more accurate, though there are concerns that food waste will rise. There is, however, enormous potential for smart refill to build brand engagement using smartphone technology at each refill station. With barcodes, QR codes or NFC chips, brands will be able to connect directly with customers at the point of purchase and customise offers appropriate to individuals. These could include personalised refill options, diet advice, loyalty rewards and links to social media platforms, perhaps even directing users to information that supports a specific brand value. Other companies are exploring chemical recycling as opposed to mechanical recycling. This is sometimes known as ‘transformational technology’ as it offers greater efficiency and lower recycling costs for single-use plastics. The process takes plastic and chops it before it is treated with a combination of water, heat, pressure and enzymes or catalysts. This breaks the plastic down into its constituent elements that can then be repolymerised into high- quality resins to manufacture new plastic packaging. These resins can also be used as fuel for other processes. Flavour Makers’ Passage Foods division, with labels such as Passage to India and Passage to Asia, has a well-earned reputation for pushing the boundaries on innovation and has recently launched a convenient ‘heat and eat bowl’, removing the need for a plastic bowl. These chef-developed bowls were created to bring convenience to time- poor consumers while also helping with the issue of sustainability. paper across five European markets for its Nesquik powder range, while in Japan it changed KitKat’s outer wrapping from plastic to the same recyclable paper. Elsewhere, companies have developed ‘naked packaging’ solutions using edible inks and labels that can be placed directly on foods such as fruit and vegetables, removing the need for any packaging. Perhaps one of the more innovative solutions to the challenges presented by sustainable packaging can be found in the compostable netting that organic producer Bostock New Zealand has invented as packaging for its organic onions. This is thought to be the first packaging of its kind in New Zealand. The compostable wood-fibre netting will break down completely in household composting systems, worm farms and landfill. Certified to Europe’s EN13432 home compostable standard, when placed in a home composting system the netting will break down in about 90 days. It’s also certified as soil biodegradable. Wrapping up Despite the urgency of our plastics crisis, we must keep in mind that the material has many advantages. It’s inexpensive, lightweight, adaptable and durable, making it suitable for multiple applications. It plays a unique and thus far unparalleled role in food hygiene, quality and safety, also contributing to the reduction of food waste. But its strength and durability become its biggest weakness when we dispose of it. Finding an environmentally sustainable alternative will be far from easy, and we can be sure plastics will continue to feature in our lives for many years. But, by taking small steps and creating innovative solutions such as those mentioned here, we’ll make steady progress in solving the mess we’ve made. Making a choice between using plastics, enjoying convenience and keeping low costs is complex and can’t be rushed. However, if manufacturers, retailers and consumers all get behind the various efforts being made to change our existing approach, perhaps we can reach our goal of convenience and low cost after all. If we do, I think Jim Steinman would agree those ‘two out of three ain’t bad’. Perhaps even a package ideal. 56 RETAIL WORLD APR, 2020 Passage Foods, as a member of the 1% for the Planet global movement, donates one per cent of bowl sales to programs around the world focused on reducing the impact of plastic pollution on the environment. Mr Dickson says, where possible, Passage Foods is seeking to transition other packaging across to more sustainable alternatives, such as the new ‘Sustainabowl’ bagasse bowls currently used in its 90 Second Veg Curry. “Bagasse is a unique material made from a dry residue extracted as a byproduct from sugar cane,” he said. “The bagasse Sustainabowl is sustainable, renewable, completely biodegradable and home compostable. Consumers only need to rinse the bowl well in cold water and place it in their garden compost, or in the waste bin, and it will break down naturally.” Nestlé has been active in sustainable practices, too, and has developed and commercialised recyclable paper-based flexible packaging. In 2019, Nestlé introduced pouches made from this