Planet-friendly packaging: Latest innovations

Source : FoodBev Media ｜Author : Melissa Bradshaw

The drive toward greener packaging solutions and smarter, reduced use of plastic has intensified in recent years, particularly alongside the introduction of new government legislation designed to tackle the plastic waste problem. 

Efforts to drive down the use of unsustainable levels of plastic are critical within the packaging industry, a sector shown to produce high levels of plastic waste that could be significantly reduced by introducing modern, greener solutions.

Data from climate action NGO Wrap reveals that around a third of all plastic packaging on the global market leaks from collection systems and pollutes the environment.

In the UK, plastic packaging accounts for nearly 70% of our plastic waste. The government has put the issue under the spotlight with the introduction of several legislative measures this year, including extending its single-use plastic ban to include plates, trays, bowls, cutlery and certain types of polystyrene food and drinks containers as well as straws and stirrers.

Alongside the Plastic Packaging Tax, applied to plastic goods manufactured or imported with less than 30% recycled plastic, and the new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation requiring producers to pay the full costs of dealing with waste, the single-use plastic ban will work alongside incentives such as funding schemes to implement a shift in the way we produce and deal with waste generated from packaging consumer goods.

While the introduction of new rules will force companies to accelerate action on the matter, pressure to go greener has long been mounting and consumers are becoming savvier when it comes to the eco-friendliness of their shopping baskets. Trivium’s 2023 Buying Green Report showed that 71% of consumers are actively choosing products due to the sustainability factor of the product’s packaging.

Companies in the F&B space are turning to a range of solutions to improve packaging sustainability, looking to materials such as recycled aluminium, paper and innovative new solutions derived from natural sources.

Pushing for paper

PepsiCo’s Walkers crisp brand has this week announced the rollout of new paper outer bags for all Walkers Baked multipacks, a move it says will reduce its use of virgin plastic on outer packaging by 180 tonnes per year.

The company also plans to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in crisp and snack bags by 2030 by using 100% recycled or renewable content, and is currently trialling new ‘bagless’ Snack A Jacks multipacks, using a tape-like strip to hold together individual packets.

And in early 2024, Nissin Foods USA has announced that its Cup Noodles will begin to roll out in a new paper cup design, replacing its current polystyrene cup. The solution will be rolled out across all flavours of Cup Noodles and will be made with 40% recycled fibre, no longer requiring a plastic wrap. It will feature a 100% recycled paper sleeve.

Michael Price, president and CEO of Nissin Foods USA, said that while the product will retain its “same satisfying taste and iconic look”, the brand must evolve to support current environmental needs.

“This updated packaging and the new paper cup marks an important milestone for Cup Noodles and a key step in our environmental commitment,” Price said in a statement.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Global packaging company Amcor has this week announced that its Stelvin aluminium screw cap range for wine and spirits will receive sustainability upgrades, helping alcoholic beverage brands around the world go greener in their closure solutions.

The use of up to 46% recycled aluminium and ‘careful selection’ of low-carbon primary aluminium during the manufacturing process contributes to a 35% reduction in the carbon footprint of all Stelvin and 30H60 screw caps produced in Europe, North America and South America for wine and spirit brands, Amcor said. Brands can select the ‘Stelvin Inside’ liner, free from Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), to up the eco credentials and improve recyclability of the sustainable capping solution.

Elsewhere in beverages, Coca-Cola has announced that all of its 500ml sparkling beverage bottles in Canada will be made with 100% recycled plastic by early 2024, excluding caps and labels. The move supports the company’s ‘World Without Waste’ goals to use at least 50% recycled content in its packaging by 2030 and to reduce the use of virgin plastic.

“With this transition, no virgin PET plastic will be used for our sparkling 500ml bottles under normal circumstances going forward in Canada,” said Kurt Ritter, VP and general manager of sustainability at Coca-Cola North America.

Ritter added that the move aims to increase the amount of high-quality, food-grade, recycled plastic available in Canada and ultimately enable the business to offer more of its brands in the format. It is projected to save 7.6 million lbs of new plastic in 2024 alone.

Building with beeswax

Over the past couple of weeks, sustainable packaging solutions utilising beeswax have come to the forefront. Danish ingredients and packaging specialist Procudan has developed a cheese wax made from 100% natural materials. Cheese wax is commonly used as a form of display packaging as well as in transportation and maturing of cheese production, but conventional varieties typically contain plastic and waxes based on fossil oil.

Procudan’s new ProCera Natural cheese wax is made from beeswax among other natural materials and has been tested in collaboration with Scandinavian dairy companies. Procudan said the solution possesses all of the familiar characteristics of currently used cheese wax solutions, eliminating the fossil raw materials.

A new sustainability start-up, One Good Thing (OGT) has also turned to beeswax-based innovation to remove the need for packaging entirely in the creation of what is claimed to be the world’s first wrapperless protein and snack bars.

In a bid to reduce plastic waste, its on-the-go snack bars are coated with a completely edible, natural film made from a mixture of beeswax and other natural ingredients. The start-up said the solution dries hard enough to hold and protect the bars inside, but is thin and soft enough to chew easily.

Kieran Stanbridge, CEO of OGT, said: “We like to think of our bars as just like eating an apple. When you’re ready to eat one, you can just give it a quick rinse and take a bite. It’s that simple. Our innovation doesn’t just limit plastic waste – it removes it entirely.”

Looking ahead

Consumer awareness of environmental impact has continued to rise and, despite global inflation impacting consumer spending habits, Trivium’s data still showed that 82% of respondents said they would be willing to pay more for sustainable packaging – up four points from 2022.

Trivium Packaging’s CEO, Michael Mapes, said: “The data in this year’s Buying Green Report presents a strong case that transitioning to sustainable packaging is not only the right decision for the environment but also the right decision for the business”.

“It’s clear that consumers are paving the way for a sustainable future, and businesses need to listen – external factors like the economy don’t phase the eco-conscious demand. Buyers are looking at the big picture: the survival of our planet.”