All Sustainability articles – Page 45
-
ArticleIndustry reacts to INC-5 as negotiators fail to complete Global Plastics Treaty
PepsiCo, Zero Waste Europe, Reloop, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Greenpeace, WWF, and UNEP are among the industry players commenting on the lack of progress in a Global Plastics Treaty at INC-5. Generally, they commend the vast majority’s unity against alleged “obstructionism”, but highlight gaps in the draft text and express disappointment at further delays in negotiations.
-
ArticleEMR Reusable Steels targets carbon reduction with reusable material
EMR Reusable Steels recently received the Recycled Product of the Year award at the National Recycling Awards for its steel sections - removed from end-of-life buildings and reused in new projects - said to offer a 97.5% carbon reduction compared to virgin steel sections.
-
Sponsored ContentWhere does chemistry fit into the paper packaging transition?
In this edition of our ‘In Conversation With…’ series, Joonas Hokka and Matthias Krätschell – Kemira’s manager for Applications and Marketing EMEA and manager for Business Creation EMEA, respectively – unpack the role of chemistry in packaging’s paperization trend, especially where it relates to recyclable barrier coatings for paper, board, moulded fibre, and more.
-
ArticleHigh costs, low demand, and imports stall Europe’s plastic recycling capacity
According to new data from Plastics Recyclers Europe, the continent’s recycling capacity has stagnated with a year-on-year increase of only 6% in 2023; this is reported to mark its lowest growth since 2017.
-
ArticleNo agreement reached over a Global Plastics Treaty at INC-5
After a week of negotiations, INC-5 has come to a close with no agreement reached over a Global Plastics Treaty, and another session is now expected to take place in 2025 – an outcome many blame on ‘low-ambition countries’ stalling progress for their own ends.
-
ArticleBelgian retailers forego single-use plastics with reusable mushroom packaging
Albert Heijn, Aldi, Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, and Lidl are working with the Reusable Packaging Coalition to pilot reusable packaging for mushrooms in Mechelen, aligning with Europe’s upcoming ban on single-use plastic for lightweight fruit and vegetables.
-
ArticleBusinesses want ‘concrete outcomes’ over complete consensus at INC-5
The Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty is pushing for an instrument that prioritizes the ambition of most INC-5 negotiators over voluntary measures with universal support.
-
ArticleThe inside scoop on the Sustainable Packaging Summit 2024
So many valuable and in-depth conversations were held at the Sustainable Packaging Summit this year. To give you a taste, this edition of the Brief provides a snapshot of the onstage discussions, from regulatory limitations to data collection to start-up pitches.
-
ArticleINC-5 Chair fast-tracks revised text amid frustrations over slow progress
Responding to mounting frustration over slow progress at INC-5 in Busan, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso is set to release a revised Global Plastics Treaty text ‘as early as noon on Friday’. Now attendees are urging negotiators to act quickly and prioritize completion over consensus.
-
ArticleRoyal Mail takes on Movopack’s returnable e-commerce packaging
The Royal Mail postal system is adopting Movopack’s returnable packaging solution – believed to cut CO2 emissions by 84% compared to single-use packaging – following a £2 million (€2,402,070) funding round.
-
PodcastPRE’s Mathilde Taveau: the European plastic recycling recession
In October 2024 Plastics Recyclers Europe issued a statement warning that “The increasing lack of demand for recyclates produced in Europe, the reduced investments in domestic recycling, and the increase in imports of recyclates from outside the EU have been suffocating the European plastics recycling industry in the last few years. These issues are feeding the existing recession on the market - driving many recycling companies out of business in 2023, with further closures happening or planned in the course of 2024.” In this context Mathilde Taveau (Regulatory Affairs Manager at PRE) talks to Tim Sykes about the latest statistics from a European plastic recycling sector in a state of recession, and how regulators and value chain can act to reverse this worrying trend.
-
ArticleCapacities rise at DS Smith’s Hungarian sites with €34 million investment
Aiming to boost its manufacturing capacities by 40%, DS Smith has invested €34.4 million into its Hungarian operations, including new converting equipment, an updated corrugator, and three ‘eco-classrooms’ for children.
-
ArticleReinventing paper-based packaging applications - LIVE
Paper can play an important role when it comes to making packaging more sustainable. What is the materials’ potential to replace plastic applications while also lowering the carbon footprint? In our latest Linkedin Live webinar, Mondi Group’s Marco Macoratti, tackles this question and discusses sustainable design principles, innovations that replace varied applications such as plastic pallet wrap, plastic tray wraps or shrink wraps for PET bottle bundles and takes a look at the future of paper packaging.
-
ArticleWhere does the European Commission stand on a Global Plastics Treaty?
Among other measures, the European Commission aims to ban and phase out ‘problematic’ substances and implement a Polluter Pays Principle in Global Plastics Treaty negotiations at INC-5 – yet it emphasizes differences in national circumstances as it pursues a just transition.
-
PodcastSustainability Perspectives: Boosting packaging functionality with coatings
Demand for sustainable packaging, whether it’s plastic or paper, is growing. How can coatings help with fulfilling this demand? Siegwerk’s Gilles Le Moigne shares with Elisabeth Skoda how the company innovates and tackles challenges particularly around paper and plastic packaging in the area of food packaging. He also discusses collaborations and takes a look at future trends.
-
ArticleBusinesses seek global rules, steps by sector, and EPR in plastics treaty
As negotiations continue at INC-5 in Busan, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty calls for a legally binding instrument to set international obligations, take sector-specific action, and enforce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes in a bid to eliminate plastic pollution.
-
ArticleCircularity - LinkedIn LIVE Panel
In the latest LinkedIn Live panel of the year, as part of the Sustainable Packaging Summit 2024 series, we take a deep dive into the topic of Circularity.
We will be asking vital questions such as: What is the pivotal role of safe and sustainable chemical innovation? How do we meet PPWR targets? And what is the forecast for recycled content; how do we meet requirements; what technologies do we need to focus on and fund? -
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.
-
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.
-
ArticleNational strategy unveiled to tackle plastic pollution in America
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed a national strategy to prevent plastic pollution in America, which includes an uptake in reuse, a country-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, and interventions to lessen the strain on the most impacted groups.