Although sustainability is so much more than what happens to your packaging when you throw it away, it is still essential that we have a good understanding of life after packaging. In 2018, 40 per cent of global plastic produced was used for packaging, this equates 161 million tonnes. Less than one-fifth of this figure is recycled globally – so what happens to the rest?
Landfill is the most notorious of all ending points for plastic waste. Its estimated that 78% of global plastic that has been produced is accumulating in landfill or discarded in the natural environment as litter. Of the 161 million tonnes of plastic packaging produced each year, approximately 10% ends up in our oceans. This is a knock-on effect of landfill waste as, during transportation, plastic packaging is often swept into our waterways by the wind. The final 12% of packaging waste is brought to incineration and used to produce energy.
By increasing the rate by which we recycle plastic packaging, we could offset the problem of landfill waste and ocean litter, however, this alone is not enough to reverse the effects of environmental pollution. By adopting sustainable packaging in conjunction with changing our waste disposal habits, the global packaging waste crisis can be averted at a much faster pace. But what happens to our new and improved sustainable packaging at the end of its life?
Compostable Packaging
Compostable packaging is made with the intention of breaking down into natural elements in a compost environment. Today, not only do we have conventional home composting that is suitable for the disposal of household waste, there are also industrial composting facilities designed to effectively process large volumes of public and commercial waste. There are three types of industrial composting techniques; windrow, in-vessel and aerated static pile composting. All three will produce the same results however, In-vessel composting is the most versatile with the ability to accommodate virtually any type of organic waste — meat, animal manure, bio-solids and food scraps etc. during the industrial composting process, waste material is placed in an enclosed environment where temperature, moisture and airflow levels can be efficiently controlled. The waste material is mechanically turned to create aeration that encourages bacterial activity and material breakdown. The entire process can take between 21 and 84 days to complete. The end product is a high-quality compost that is rich in nutrients. This can be used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture and organic farming to name just a few.
Recyclable Packaging
Recyclable packaging is packaging made from the same plastic or plastics within the same polymer family. This allows it to be successfully melted down during the recycling process without contamination. Today, the majority of plastic packaging can be recycled and remade into new products. Plastic waste recycling reduces our use of fossil fuels, saves energy, landfill space, and emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Plastic recycling is broken up into a few distinct steps however these may vary depending on the packaging. packaging waste is disposed of in the home and collected by the waste management companies. Once the waste has been transported to the recycling facility it is then sorted by type of plastic, colour and even by the way the plastic was manufactured in the first place. Once sorted the plastic is then washed to erase any traces of contamination from food, labels or adhesive that may be present. The washed plastic is then shredded into small particles, making it easier to process. The shredded plastic is identified and separated into like categories, this is done by testing characteristics such as density, thickness, melting point and colour. Once the plastic is sorted it is compounded into small pellets that can then be reused to make alternative products such as rope, plastic toys, piping, beer mats, plastic pallets and even recycling bins.
Paper Packaging
Paper is one of the most easily recycled packaging materials. Each metric tonne of recycled paper can save approximately 19 trees, 2.68 meters of landfill space and 127 kilos of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Much like plastic packaging, recycling paper packaging will result in a product that can be used in the same or similar capacity than the original. Whether you recycle your paper at home or on an industrial scale, the process is essentially the same. Paper packaging can be disposed of in our recycle bin at home and will end up in the dry recycling waste streams. Once collected, waste management companies sort the paper into grades which essentially measure the quality of the fibres. Each grade is then transported to a paper mill recycling facility where it is further sorted based on its surface treatment and structure. After sorting, the paper is then shredded and added to a mixture of water and chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, and sodium silicate to facilitate the breakdown and separation the paper fibres into a solution referred to as pulp. The pulp is then passed through a number of screens to remove larger contaminants such as staples, tape, plastic film etc that would be included in the recycled paper. Once the larger contaminants are removed the pulp is added to a flotation tank where chemicals and air bubbles remove any inks or dyes present. At this stage, hydrogen peroxide and other whitening agents may be added to further enhance the whiteness of the pulp. Once the desired brightness is achieved, the pulp is passed over heated rollers to press out any excess water and form continuous sheets of flattened paper ready to be reused for applications such as newspaper printing, wrapping paper, printing paper, and blown-in cellulose insulation.
For more information on our Generation Green range and advise on which sustainable packaging option is best for your product, get in contact with us and a member of our team will be happy to talk you through your options in more detail.
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In the world of sustainable packaging, two words come up more often than others; compostable and biodegradable. But what do they mean? By its definition, compostable packaging will break down to natural elements without leaving behind toxic residue. The main difference between compostable and biodegradable packaging is that compostable products require specific conditions in order to break down i.e. specific temperature and moisture settings along with the presence of microorganisms, whereas biodegradable products will break down naturally. As with many sustainability claims, the devil is in the detail. In this particular instance, the detail is time. We have already mentioned that biodegradation is a natural occurrence, in fact, everything from banana skins to toxic batteries will biodegrade eventually. Because the definition of biodegradable packaging does not have a time limit attached to it, consumers assume that it takes much less time to break down than the 1,000 years that is estimated for plastic, however, this isn’t always the case. Compostable packaging, on the other hand, does have a time frame associated with it. In order to claim compostability under the EN13432 standard, packaging materials must break down within 180 days in industrial composting conditions and no more than 365 days in home composting conditions.
Recyclable packaging is packaging that can be reprocessed back to its original form and returned into the manufacturing stream. Traditionally, flexible packaging is made from a blend of different plastic materials which are laminated together making them extremely hard to separate. For this reason, flexible packaging is notoriously difficult to recycle. As the saying goes, reduce, reuse and recycle. When translated into the world of packaging, this would look like the following scenario;
Without sustainable packaging, it’s hard for a brand to maintain its reputation for environmental stewardship. One of the biggest contributing factors to this is the plastic-free movement which has become the forerunner of packaging discussions. But what does it mean? We have already discussed the importance of plastic for the food industry in terms of longevity and protection of the product, but what about packaging for non-food products, fast-moving consumer goods or single-serve portions? Without the requirement of barrier or preservation characteristics, brands are free to choose plastic free-paper packaging, arguably the most sustainable material option. Paper is the most obviously recyclable packaging material, it’s naturally sourced and can easily biodegrade back into nature. The paper recycling stream is one of the most widely available which means we can efficiently and effectively divert waste from landfill. However, paper has some environmental limitations. Paper used in packaging is technically down-cycled at the end of life, not recycled. After initial use, paper is disposed of through dry waste recycling streams, it is separated by type and grade, water and chemicals are added to return it to a pulp form and it’s then remade into recycled paper. This process inevitably weakens the papers natural fibres and results in a newly processed material which contains contaminated fibres that do not meet food-grade standards. This inhibits the new material from being used for the same purpose as the initial material. To overcome this, raw material manufacturers supply the packaging industry with either virgin paper or paper containing a percentage of recycled content that abides by the laws of food safety contact.
According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes, or roughly 30% of global food production, is lost or wasted every year. Generally, when food waste ends up in landfill it produces methane – a potent greenhouse gas which is 21 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. This methane production accounts for around 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions per year. Flexible packaging has the ability to extend the shelf life of food products. By integrating specifically chosen barriers to the material laminate, you can extend your product shelf life dramatically. Alongside its resealable features, gas flushing technology and portion control properties, it’s is a great solution to reducing food waste.
Flexible packaging uses less energy to produce compared to traditional rigid packaging options. Due to its flexible nature, it holds more like for like product volume compared to traditional packaging. Less packaging means optimized energy consumption which in turn leads to lower operating costs. At its end of life, traditional flexible packaging is sent for incineration. With the waste-to-energy (WTE) trend becoming a more viable end-of-life option for flexible packaging materials, packaging converters are burning flexible packaging waste to generate energy which can be pumped back into their manufacturing process.
