All The Brief articles
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ArticleThe key to increasing the use of reusable packaging in supermarkets
At the end of 2022, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) began an initiative titled the ‘Reuse Roadmap 2030 for Supermarkets’ involving various supermarkets and organisations. In this edition of The Brief, we outline the main pathways identified by the participants and consider how the project’s learnings could impact the structure of supermarket reuse schemes beyond a national level.
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ArticleThe Brief: How shareholders can (and can’t) improve companies’ packaging performance
After 40% of General Mills shareholders voted in favour of a sustainable packaging progress report, only for the move to be written off as ‘unnecessary’, we ask the question: how far can investors really influence a company’s sustainable packaging practices? We weigh up the options and their effectiveness in this edition of the Brief.
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ArticleThe Brief: What is ‘shrinkflation’ and how does it affect the packaging industry?
In this edition of The Brief, we investigate what ‘shrinkflation’ means, why it happens, and how it affects the packaging industry. Shrinkflation is generally defined as when the size or quantity of a product is reduced, but the price remains the same. We’ll look at why businesses might make these reductions, how they affect consumers and the need for brands to communicate these changes clearly.
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ArticleThe ultimate guide to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in 2025
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is now in force, but does it address your biggest concerns? In this edition of the Brief, we break down the official text to discover how well it aligns with industry feedback – and what it means for you in the coming years.
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ArticleThe Brief: Unpacking the biggest PPWR concerns with Marius Tent
Since the PPWR was finalised last year, we’ve received a number of questions from our audience on its implications. We put your questions on exemptions, specificity of language, recyclate, reuse, and more to Marius Tent – a leading PPWR expert and the founder of ViaPackaging UG and 360PackMastery.
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ArticleThe Brief: How to make industrial electrification in Europe a reality
The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently published a report setting out its strategies and policy recommendations for industrial electrification in Europe. In this edition of the Brief, we take a look at the proposed strategies and policies and the key challenges that could potentially impede the electrification process.
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ArticleHow can we make online marketplaces more sustainable?
On the heels of our previous investigation into fast-fashion packaging, we turn our attention to online marketplaces. What is the outlook on sustainable packaging in consumer-to-consumer sales, and can it ever be fully enforced? If so, who is responsible – the sellers or the platforms? We ask all these questions in this edition of the Brief.
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ArticleOur guide to creating a circular economy for packaging in Africa
Plastic production in Africa has surged from 15 million tonnes to 350+ million tonnes in the past 50 years – most of which ends up in landfills and dumpsites. In this report, we take a look at how tackling packaging waste in African countries could help to improve living and environmental standards.
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ArticleThe problem with black packaging
It’s no secret that black packaging can negatively affect the recycling process, but are new, non-carbon solutions about to change this? In this edition of the Brief, we explore the different applications for carbon black and non-carbon black in the industry, and how non-carbon black options are being implemented.
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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.
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ArticleThe Brief: Everything you need to know about INC-5
On 25th November – 1st December 2024, the final round of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty will be held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan, Republic of Korea. In this edition of The Brief, we revisit the four Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings that have taken place so far and track the treaty’s progress in preparation for INC-5.
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ArticleThe Brief: could global action eliminate plastic pollution by 2040?
The OECD recently published a report stating that global action across the plastics lifecycle could ‘nearly eliminate’ plastic pollution by 2040. In this edition of The Brief, we outline the organisation’s proposed policy scenarios; the implications of scenarios with ‘partial’ and ‘high’ ambition; and the potential costs, challenges and priorities involved in implementing the recommended comprehensive global policy.
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ArticleThe Brief: A complete guide to plastic crediting
In June, the World Bank published a paper looking into the potential benefits and risks of plastic crediting with recommendations for the future. In this edition of The Brief, we take a closer look at this report to learn more about what plastic crediting is, how it works, where it is at present, and how it could develop to help fund the fight against plastic pollution.
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ArticleThe Brief: exploring the use of multilingual packaging
In this edition of The Brief, we explore how companies decide what languages to include on their packaging and why; how multilingual packaging can be effective; and the issues, constraints and potential solutions surrounding the use of multiple languages on packaging.
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ArticleThe difference between industry and consumer perceptions of ‘sustainability’
When it comes to the concept of sustainability, consumers and industry players can have different perceptions of what the term means and how it affects them. In this edition of The Brief, we examine both industry and consumer perceptions of what sustainability is, how this can be measured, and its impact on areas such as consumer choices and companies’ sustainability targets.
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ArticleThe ultimate guide to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in 2024
Last December, we brought you a comprehensive rundown of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s development throughout 2023. Now we’ve passed the halfway mark of 2024, and there are further developments to record. In this edition of the Brief, we catch our readers up to speed with the legislation as it stands, and how the industry has responded.
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ArticleThe Brief: How can the packaging industry successfully achieve its sustainability targets?
In this edition of The Brief, we take an in-depth look at FoodDrinkEurope (FDE)’s ‘Sustainable Packaging Pathway’, which gives advice on how the industry can meet the PPWR targets.
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ArticleThe Brief: A whistle-stop tour of packaging’s history – and what it teaches us
In the packaging industry, we’re often looking to the future, pursuing the next innovations in line with evolving demands. But we had to start somewhere; how did our predecessors pack their goods? How does it compare to today’s packaging landscape, and what can we learn from the past? We explore it all in the latest edition of The Brief.
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ArticleThe Brief: Our guide to sustainable packaging at events
Summer has arrived! And to many people, that means attending festivals, sports events, and concerts. In this edition of the Brief, we look at packaging reuse and recycling in this context – what infrastructure is available, how widespread are deposit return schemes, and how do sorting systems work?
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ArticleThe Brief: Reuse vs. single use – which is better for the environment?
What has a lower environmental impact – single-use packaging, or reusable alternatives? In this edition of The Brief, we take a look at the Nordic Co-operation’s in-depth investigation into disposable versus washable food and e-commerce packaging, before extending our query into the healthcare sector.