Market OUTLOOK
How will fibre-based packaging develop whilst the world still suffers from plastic paranoia? Article by Paul Jenkins, Managing Director, ThePackHub
The packaging industry permanently changed around three years ago. Blue Planet 2 has been widely acknowledged as starting a domino effect, starting a series of events that has changed how we all feel about plastic packaging.
T
he packaging industry permanently changed around three years ago. The Blue Planet 2 programme shown worldwide presented by the excellent David Attenborough painted an ugly picture. He described how our oceans are being filled ith literally millions of tonnes of plastic aste. he haunting scenes of sea life trying to e tricate themselves from aste plastic left an indelible mar on our memories and created a grounds ell of action from everyone involved in pac aging.
Blue Planet 2 has been widely acknowledged as starting a domino effect, starting a series of events that has changed ho e all feel about plastic pac aging. f course, the environment has al ays been of consideration for the ma ority of brand o ners and retailers. o ever, rather than being a nice to have , sustainability is no an essential top priority for anyone that ants to sell a successful product. he Blue lanet effect sa supermar et plastic bans, plastic free aisle trials, plastic ta plans, the outla ing of many single use plastic items as ell as the founding of lastic acts around the orld. his has seen many of the leading brand o ners, retailers and suppliers around the orld pledge to ma e their pac aging recyclable, reusable or compostable by . lastic pac aging is no under increased pressure and scrutiny. he rene ed focus on the environment and devastation of our oceans, is really all about plastic. any organisations have put strategies in place to reduce or remove plastic from their supply chains. ther materials such as aluminium and glass as ell as, of course, fibre based pac aging are no often the preferred alternative. his means that e are trac ing many ne initiatives in he ac ub s nnovation one database of pac aging innovations that are fibre based and a direct replacement for plastic. assachusetts based arpa A has announced the launch of a new paper-based packaging technology. uch of today s multi layered and material packaging cannot be reprocessed with existing recycling systems. The ongoing drive for mono material and paper based solutions is high on food pac aging suppliers development agendas. arpa A is advancing . on-
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PAPERFIRST MAG Autumn 2020
