All Comment articles
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ArticleWhat is your greatest concern in meeting sustainable packaging obligations?
When we polled the audience at our recent Sustainable Packaging Summit to find out what their biggest concern was in terms of meeting their sustainable packaging targets, the most popular answer was clear: cost. Anna Perlina, sustainable packaging consultant at Integrity Solutions, talks us through some strategies and tactics to help companies meet this critical challenge head-on.
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ArticleBreaking barriers in polypropylene recycling: A path to sustainable packaging
Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used plastics, yet it has comparatively low recycling rates. A recent market analysis from PreScouter examined the current state of the recycled PP supply chain. Report co-authors Dr. Marija Jovic and Dr. Daniel Morales share their key findings and recommendations on what brands and recyclers need to do to bridge the gap between PP recycling capacity and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic demand.
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Article‘When it comes to sustainability in packaging, not everything is black and white’
Across more than 30 years in the packaging industry working for companies like Nestlé, Mondi and Pepsico, Dr. Thomas Gröner, Director & Founder of TG PACK SOLUTIONS, has seen the topic of packaging sustainability from every perspective. In this interview, he shares his views on sustainability, talks about the problem of food waste, and argues that some political guidelines are questionable.
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Article‘Brands must fight the urge to scrap sustainability targets’
In recent times, leading brands like Unilever and Coca-Cola have scaled back their packaging sustainability objectives. In this article, Saloni Doshi, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at EcoEnclose, tells us why she thinks other companies shouldn’t follow suit.
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ArticleSix predictions for plastics and packaging in 2025
With new regulation the world over, uncertainty on the plastic treaty outcomes, rapid technological advancements, and geopolitical risks, it may be harder than ever for organisations to plan ahead. To help navigate this landscape, Yoni Shiran, Manuel Braun and Paula Petersen of Systemiq share six predictions that may shape the plastics and packaging landscape in 2025.
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ArticleHow can we boost the circularity of post-consumer polypropylene?
The use of post-consumer polypropylene in food packaging faces a major obstacle: proving the absence of harmful substances. In this article, Professor Edward Kosior and Paul Marshall of Nextek and NEXTLOOPP, share insights into a European-wide initiative that is aiming to overcome this challenge.
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ArticleWhat will be the main sustainable packaging trend in 2025?
At the start of 2025, which evolving packaging trends should we all be keeping an eye on? According to Anna Perlina, sustainable packaging consultant at Integrity Solutions, outsourcing in particular is set to grow in prominence.
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ArticleFive paper packaging predictions for 2025
A quarter of a century into the new Millennium, what does 2025 have in store for the paper packaging industry? According to Neil Osment, MD of packaging market research company NOA, it all comes down to the five ‘Ps’.
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ArticleDriving packaging sustainability forward in 2025
Unfortunately, my wrap-up of 2024 is not an especially cheerful one. Just as we close out the year with little to no significant progress made at COP29 or INC-5, we enter a new one under various governmental powers for whom sustainability is not a priority.
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ArticleHow can the industry adapt to the PPWR?
Our industry faces a dilemma: while packaging is still seen as a “silent seller”, new EU rules promote minimal, necessary packaging. How can businesses embrace this change and adapt to new conditions? Anna Perlina, sustainable packaging consultant at Integrity Solutions, offers a potential solution.
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ArticleWhy did Coca-Cola change its packaging sustainability goals?
Earlier this month, Coca-Cola announced a significant shift in its sustainability strategy, scaling back on its widely publicized goal of using 50% recycled plastic in its packaging by 2030. While some have criticized this move as a step backward, others argue that it underscores a critical issue in sustainability efforts: the dangers of setting unrealistic goals that are disconnected from operational realities. Calvin Lakhan, Director of Circular Innovation Hub at York University’s Faculty of Environment and Urban Change, takes a closer look.
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ArticleAn introduction to chaos packaging
Chaos packaging is the art of putting everyday, familiar products in surprise formats. For example, gin packaged in an engine oil bottle, or water in a beer can. What’s behind this growing trend? Tey Bannerman of McKinsey Design and Lisa Cain of Smurfit Westrock take a closer look.
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ArticleWhat can we expect from the final round of plastic treaty negotiations?
Earlier today, at the start of the INC-5 plastic pollution treaty negotiations in Busan, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, outlined her expectations and hopes for this week’s events. We’ve published the speech in its entirety below.
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ArticleINC-5: A ‘historic chance to address plastic pollution’
A crucial moment for the global packaging industry begins today. From the 25th of November to the 1st of December, the final round of negotiations towards the UN’s legally-binding plastic treaty will take place in Busan, South Korea. Marta Longhurst, Global Plastics Treaty Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, argues that governments should unite and seize a historic opportunity to tackle plastic pollution.
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ArticleHow can the packaging industry prepare for geopolitical uncertainties?
The packaging industry faces a number of serious geopolitical-related challenges that are set to have a major impact on operations and sustainability. In this article, Laura Rainier, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, explains how these immediate and long-term problems can be tackled.
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ArticleThe problem with gasification
In this analysis, Joshua Dill, Plastics Recycling Analyst at ICIS, examines the critical challenges of strict regulations, technical issues, and high financial risks that are stalling gasification projects.
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ArticleIf take-up of mechanically recycled polymers is limited, could chemical recycling bridge the gap?
In this ICIS insight, Tom Brown, Chief News Correspondent at ICIS, explores how chemical recycling could bridge an important gap. Despite current delays and policy hurdles, he argues that it could potentially add 3 million tonnes of capacity by 2029.
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ArticleDemand for folding cartons and corrugated faces an ‘unclear future’
Folding cartons and corrugated have had something of a bumpy ride over the last two or three years, with production down last year and bottoming out during 2024. Neil Osment, MD of packaging market research company NOA, looks at what the next few years might have in store for these major paper packaging formats.
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ArticleCould this technology make closed-loop recycling a reality?
One of the biggest barriers standing in the way of truly closing the circular recycling loop is ineffective sortation technology. In this article, Ravi Sharma, Vice President of Research and Development at Digimarc, tells us more about a potential solution to this conundrum.
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ArticleMillennials claim to champion sustainability, but do the statistics tell a different story?
Millennials are widely regarded as champions of eco-consciousness, often demanding that brands align with their values on sustainability. However, in a world where 30% of items purchased online are returned, with millennials at the forefront of this trend, is this perception truly accurate? Jenna Pollard, a Data Analyst at Visualsoft, takes a look at the numbers.