All The Brief articles
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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.
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ArticleHow to keep ‘conflict minerals’ out of packaging
Many of us couldn’t say where the metals used to make our mobile phones came from, let alone our packaging. But when their consumption could be funding conflict overseas, how do we ensure we responsibly source our minerals? In this edition of The Brief, we uncover the realities of mining ‘conflict minerals’, the rules in place to prevent exploitation, and how packaging companies have responded.
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ArticleThe Brief: re-branding in packaging
In this edition of The Brief, we look at re-branding in packaging: why and when companies choose to re-brand, the aims of re-branding, and how it can impact the consumer.
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ArticleThe Brief: How bad is ‘greenwashing’ in fast fashion packaging?
Fast fashion often comes under fire for promoting the overconsumption of clothing, but where does its packaging come in? What are big brands doing to overcome packaging waste, how reliable are their claims, and what can we expect in the future? We cover it all in this edition of The Brief.
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ArticleThe Brief: Everything you need to know about deposit return schemes
Deposit return schemes are taking off in Europe and beyond, and it appears they will continue to do so as they are cemented into international packaging legislation. In this edition of the Brief, we recap how the systems function, where they are or aren’t working, and what the industry and consumers alike have to say about them.
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ArticleThe Brief: is the use of straw and grain in packaging a scalable option?
In the last few years, more companies have been producing packaging made from crop waste, such as sugarcane bagasse, molasses, straw and grains. In this edition of The Brief, we will take a closer look at straw and grain packaging and whether it is a scalable option.
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ArticleOxo-(bio)degradables: the who, what, and why of breaking down fossil-based plastics
The legal battle surrounding ‘oxo-degradable plastics’ has extended as far as the European General Court, which recently doubled down on its decision to ban such materials on the EU market. But what are they and why are they so controversial? In this edition of the Brief, we dig deeper into their turbulent history and the claims made on both sides of the fence.
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ArticleThe Brief: Getting to grips with seaweed in packaging
In the latest edition of the Brief, we cover everything we know about seaweed-based packaging so far – how it works, where its sustainability claims come from, what designs are currently on the market, and the developments to look out for in the future.
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ArticleThe Brief: How viable is biorecycling for plastics?
In this edition of The Brief, we will outline the current research and developments happening around the biorecycling of plastics, look at the challenges involved (such as whether it can be implemented at scale), and ask if its place in recycling could be seen as an addition or an alternative to current methods.
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ArticleThe Brief: Chemical versus mechanical recycling: an ongoing debate
In this edition of The Brief, we revisit the plentiful discussions held around chemical recycling and look for common ground upon which key players across the packaging industry can build towards a more sustainable recycling chain.
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ArticleThe Brief: Where is the packaging industry at when it comes to recycling flexible plastics?
Flexible plastics are commonly utilized in packaging across industrial sectors, but they are notoriously difficult to recycle. This edition of the Brief looks back on the progress made in the pursuit of recyclability in recent months and weighs up the remaining challenges faced by manufacturers and recyclers alike.