PACKAGING
Packaging preparedness Various upcoming new rules and regulations, as well as consumer perceptions, are changing the role, and nature, of packaging on offer to the sector. NEW REQUIREMENTS A new plastic packaging tax will see businesses whose products have less than 30% recyclable material being charged £200 per tonne. However, many feel that the rules for this tax could well provide a powerful advantage for those businesses able to reduce the amount of packaging they use, ensure it is made from the maximum recycled content, and that it is universally recyclable. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules, which are due to go live in 2022, will force producers and users of packaging to pay the full net cost of collecting, reprocessing and recycling packaging to local authorities in the UK. By the government’s own calculations, EPR is set to increase the cost of packaging compliance fees by an estimated 21 times what businesses were paying in 2017 - a significant increase. Also on the rise are Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) charges, the fees businesses must pay towards the collection and disposal of plastic packaging waste they put on the market. On its own, the per-tonne increase of plastic compliance – from an average of £50 in 2017 to over £400 in 2019. However, when these costs are modelled for large and mid-sized businesses, it is calculated that for every £1,000 a company was spending on plastic compliance in 2017, they are now spending over £8,000. The cost of these PRNs has effectively risen from a level many businesses might have considered a manageable marginal cost of doing business, to a major cost centre. Add to that hardening consumer attitudes against plastics packaging, as well as increasing pressure from investors interested in sustainability and the implications for supply chains to remove or reduce packaging, and the pressure is on for food businesses large and small to give even greater consideration to the packaging materials they use. 30
MULTIFACETED Colpac (www.colpacpackaging.com) reports that it is catering to take-away demand with two compartment, single pack sustainable solution, having launched a unique carton board two compartment lidded hot food to go box; a development that will also allow environmentally conscious, Italian delivery and take-away businesses to use a single piece of recyclable carton board packaging for hot food on the go, they add. As with all new packaging, say the company, Colpac’s team factored in the entire life cycle of its Two Compartment Box during the construction process, from point of fill, point of sale to point of consumption and point of disposal. Available in two sizes - medium and large - the Two Compartment Box is nested for space efficiency, features a simple clip closure to allow stacking and minimise heat loss with an integral lid. The pack is also printable to offer good branding opportunities. Ideal for packing two dishes, hot or cold, the box’s design also simplifies portion control and minimises the need for packaging in this fast-moving market, feel Colpac. The inside of the Two Compartment Box is coated with a barrier to prevent any grease or liquid permeating through the pack, meaning that the box can be used for hot holding, and in turn making it an excellent choice for operators needing a solution for high traffic locations, propose Colpac.
The box is simple for consumers to use and eat from, making it an appealing pack for street food concepts or take-away. Made from kraft board, it is recyclable once all food waste is removed, in turn meaning that consumers can easily find an appropriate waste stream. “Providing a food packaging solution which upholds the integrity of our customer’s offering is vital,” says Kate Berry, Colpac’s head of marketing & product. “Many businesses have launched take-away and delivery services this year, and we are committed to creating viable, sustainable packaging to meet food-to-go demands. The forthcoming launch of the Two Compartment Box is an excellent addition to our range.” With a total capacity of up to 1,050ml the large pack has a 920ml big compartment alongside a smaller compartment of 510ml. The medium pack has a 670ml and 390ml compartments and a total capacity of 1050ml. Also catering to the takeaway uptake and sustainability drive is UK-based Celebration Packaging (www.celebration. co.uk) who have launched their proven disposable and fully recyclable paper cutlery range in convenient retail packs. “We’ve been supplying our awardwinning disposable paper cutlery to the foodservice and takeaway sectors for quite some time, but we are now making the products available to the general public through retail channels,” says Celebration Packaging managing director, Nick Burton. “Packs of paper knives, forks and spoons are already on-shelf with a leading retailer in Norway, and will soon be available here in the UK.” Available in convenient packs of 20 knives, forks or spoons, Celebration Packaging’s recyclable EnviroWare® paper June 2021
