As we consider the intensifying global focus on packaging waste, the packaging industry finds itself under mounting pressure from consumers, regulators, and retailers. Consumers have made it clear that they’re backing more sustainable options, making it a key priority for retail brands. Evolving global legislation focused on business sustainability is putting further pressure on, and in this challenging environment, it’s perhaps tempting to seek quick fixes.
However, complex issues rarely have simple solutions.
The quick, easy answer here is to turn plastic into the villain of the story. After all, unnecessary plastic use is a genuine problem, and it does pose challenges in terms of efficient disposal and recycling. But quick and easy answers are rarely the right ones – especially when dealing with complex topics like packaging design.
One of the most important elements to bear in mind is that there’s no perfect material. If there were, we’d already all be using it – and only it! We therefore need to consider the roles of both plastic and paper, striking a delicate balance between environmental impact and functional performance. Whether sustainability, consumer convenience, or performance, there’s simply no room for compromise.
The most efficient form of packaging should be no packaging at all
It is important to remember that recycling is not the first step on the waste hierarchy. No matter how easy a packaging solution is to recycle, it will still consume resources and cause emissions. The most sustainable form of packaging should actually be no packaging at all. For example, certain food items are supplied to consumers loose, as in the case with bananas or potatoes.
However, the ‘naked’ approach to packaging isn’t appropriate for many products, and therefore as an industry we have to focus on the substantial packaging reductions that can still be achieved. In many cases, swapping rigid packaging formats for minimal material flexible solutions is ideal, as flexible packaging inherently uses fewer materials. It also ensures that more packs can be shipped in a single container, which helps to optimise logistics and minimises unnecessary carbon emissions through the supply chain.
Flexible packaging can be further light-weighted by using thinner materials that are augmented where necessary using lamination or barrier coatings. As coating and lamination technologies develop, they unlock new possibilities for new high-performance flexible packaging materials and applications.
Exploring alternatives to plastic
Our Recoflex™ range of paper laminates proves what’s possible when these technological possibilities are explored. The range of materials is made using paper-based, fully recyclable laminates available in several different configurations that we can tailor to meet each of our customers’ needs. This includes a translucent material, a metallised paper made using a vapour deposition of aluminium, and a freezer option. And, as the range is paper-based, it is much easier to recycle within existing recycling infrastructure, without the need for heavy investment.
Each configuration is optimised for different applications. For example, the freezer paper was designed to handle challenging frozen applications such as seafood and frozen meat. In a stroke of Parkside packaging wizardry, it was developed by combining a high grease and moisture barrier laminate with a special barrier coating that repels ice crystals from the surface of the pack. This helps preserve the grease and moisture barrier to ensure the pack can cope with any temperature fluctuations while moving through the cold chain.
This illustrates the route to success when looking to develop more recyclable flexible packaging. There is no one-size-fits-all holy grail solution, but by working with a packaging partner to develop a tailored approach, it is possible to strike an ideal balance between functional performance and recyclability for many applications.
A flexible approach to the packaging balancing act
This balancing act is why, despite all of the advancements in lightweighted and paper-based materials, plastic still has a role to play in a wide range of product applications. It is crucial to consider the massive environmental impact of product waste – particularly food waste – when rethinking packaging design. The core function of packaging is to prevent waste by, amongst other things, protecting products through the supply chain. If it’s not doing this, then it’s little more than waste itself.
Businesses that use packaging must not lose sight of this in their quest to develop solutions that are perceived as more sustainable. While ‘plastic-free’ claims make for a compelling consumer marketing message, often a minimal plastic film or barrier coating must be used to provide the required level of shelf-life performance to get the product from farm or factory to the home. Well-designed flexible packaging solutions can provide the right balance of material reduction and product preservation performance.
Using single-polymer substrates – monopolymers – is key to achieving this tricky balancing act. As monomaterials, they are significantly easier to recycle within today’s infrastructure, and often replace mixed material structures that are difficult and expensive to separate, and simply don’t work in our existing waste systems.
Innovations in packaging design, including advances in water-based barrier coatings and other elements that can boost a pack’s functionality, mean they can be used in place of traditional combined polymer constructions without compromising pack performance.
Showing this in action, our Recoflex range includes PE and PP options – the former now increasingly accepted in mainstream front of store recycling infrastructure. These solutions are recycle-ready and available in a range of formats, giving businesses the freedom to tailor their packaging to meet their needs.
As global sustainability regulations and retailer targets continue to tighten, flexible packaging will continue to flourish as it helps brands balance recyclability with functional performance. By taking a holistic view that incorporates plastic or paper on a case-by-case basis rather than looking for a one-size-fits-all solution, the packaging industry can turn the challenges it currently faces into big – and frankly unmissable – opportunities.
