The drive for sustainable packaging – public pressure and solutions.

The drive for sustainable packaging

Demands on packaging are increasing; packaging also, more than ever before, is a hot topic with the general public. From sustainable sourcing and reduction of plastic, to packs that work at all stages of the supply chain (from freezing through to the consumer reheating at home), the foodservice market is now demanding sustainable, all-purpose packaging solutions.

STRONG VIEWS

More than 100,000 people have called on the government to ban the most polluting single-use plastic items, such as plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene food packaging. The call came as public pressure builds on Environment Secretary, George Eustice, to be quicker and more ambitious in tackling plastic pollution once and for all.

A petition with over 117,000 signatures was handed into Downing Street in February, ahead of the government closing its consultation on banning common single-use items. The campaigners carried eye-catching placards and giant cutlery props with the wording ‘For Fork’s Sake’ and ‘Cut the Cutlery’. Some 51,000 members of the public participated in the consultation, with the help of plastic pollution campaigners, City to Sea, and campaign group, 38 Degrees. The vast majority of respondents backed a ban on all the items being considered - such as cutlery, plates and polystyrene food containers - with support at 96% or above across the board. Crucially, almost two thirds (64%) say the ban should kick in sooner than the government’s April 2023 start date.

Scotland is due to introduce a comparable ban by June 2022 and members of the European Union were expected to have a ban in place by July 2021 leading to campaigners accusing the government of a “dereliction of Brexit promises”.

Megan Bentall, head of campaigns at 38 Degrees, said: “There’s no doubt about it - this is an absolutely massive show of public support for nally banning these unnecessary and polluting plastic items.

“The fact that more than 50,000 people have taken the time to participate in a detailed government consultation on this issue is the clearest demonstration yet that we are simply done with these plastic items polluting our environment. The government has no choice but to listen. And they should respond with a quicker, more ambitious plan.”

The petition was submitted jointly by plastic pollution campaigners City to Sea, campaign group 38 Degrees, and environmental NGO Greenpeace, as part of the #CutTheCutlery campaign. This campaign calls on the government to meet and exceed - in the quickest possible time frame - the EU’s own ban, which the block introduced back in July as part of its Single-Use Plastics Directive. The UK agreed to the ban whilst still a member of the EU, but since Brexit has dragged its feet in delivering it at home, claim the campaigners.

Once these very minimum, it is claimed, standards have been introduced, the campaigners are calling on the government to go much further through the target setting process of the Environment Act. They’re calling for legally binding targets for single-use plastic reduction and re-use within the Environment Act - with the aim of a 50% reduction by 2025, and 25% of packaging to be reusable by 2025.

The government’s consultation into banning commonly littered single-use plastic items closed on 12 February 2021 at 23.45 and sought views on banning single-use plastic plates, bowls, trays, cutlery, balloon sticks, and polystyrene food and drinks containers.

“These items are the rst baby-steps in a long journey ahead. The public has removed any room for doubt that DEFRA may have had,” said Steve Hynd, City to Sea’s policy manager. 51,462 members of the public submitted their views into the consultation via 38 Degrees and City to Sea, with support for the ban peaking at 98.3% for polystyrene food containers. 94% of respondents also said there should be no exemptions. 87% of respondents also disagreed with government plans to continue allowing plastic plates that are classed as ‘packaging’ - for example, where they’re lled with food at the point of sale, such as from a food truck, and the vast majority said a ban should include all plastic plates.

Almost two thirds (64%) also say the ban should kick in sooner than the government’s April 2023 start date, with 35% agreeing with the proposed date. Just 2% said it should be later.

Two thirds (67%) of respondents said they’d be ‘very willing’ to pay more for products and services that used packaging in a more sustainable way, with a further quarter (25%) ‘slightly willing’.

Importantly, 61% also said that biobased, compostable and biodegradable plastics should also be banned - something that the campaigners have dubbed “critical” for tackling plastic pollution. The wide-scale use of material substitutes such as bioplastics should be regarded with caution, the claim being that bioplastics can be harmful to the environment and won’t shift people of companies away from a culture of throwaway packaging. Steve Hynd added: “Whilst we welcome the banning of a few of the plastics that are most commonly found littered in our natural environment, we need to be clear; we’re a long way o from being ‘world leaders’ in tackling plastic pollution. These are the rst baby-steps in a long journey ahead. The public has removed any room for doubt that DEFRA may have had, they need to crack on and ban these most polluting single-use plastics without any more delay or feet dragging. Once this has happened, we can seriously start to address the other sources of plastic pollution.

“To address the other sources of plastic pollution we need two big policy announcements. The rst, and this has to happen as part of the Environment Act target setting process, is to see a legally binding target to reduce singleuse plastics as a whole by 50% by 2025. The second is to turbocharge the re ll and reuse revolution. We are calling on the government to set a target of 25% of all packaging to be reusable or re llable by 2025. We have the answers to the plastic pollution crisis, the public supports them, now all we need is the political will.” Maja Darlington, campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “After years of talking about being a global leader in tackling plastic pollution, the government has managed to crack down on a grand total of four single-use plastic items and microplastics. The UK public has long been willing and ready to move on from polluting throwaway plastic. Is the government going to catch up and get on with reducing all single-use plastics by 50% by 2025?”

SUPPORT NEEDED

As hospitality businesses move away from single-use plastics ahead of the proposed ban next year, UKHospitality says that it is looking to the government for support. The trade body is backing the planned April 2023 ban on singleuse plastics, but says that it wants to see government support as the sector moves to alternative, sustainable materials for items such as forks, plates and bowls. UKHospitality’s call came as it too responded to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural A airs’ (DEFRA) consultation document on proposals to ban “some commonly littered single-use plastic items.” “We’re keen to take a strong stance in supporting any plan to reduce plastic. Indeed, many hospitality sector businesses have already moved away from single-use plastics or are putting in place plans to do so. This is an industry that’s leading the way on this important issue, and which remains committed in continuing to prioritise sustainable practices,” said UKHospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls. “But all hospitality businesses will need government support if they’re to make the transition to non-plastic items successfully and in time for April 2023 – just over a year away – and recognise the scale of operations required to make the shift.”

UKHospitality have proposed that the government should be prepared, where necessary, to provide nancial support to businesses sourcing and buying alternatives plastic to avoid them su ering “unintended consequences”. And it has suggested that to avoid confusion among customers, operational problems and added costs, there should be exemptions for all plastic bowls, plates and trays used as eat in and take out packaging.

Without these exemptions, UKHospitality said that it feels businesses o ering both eat in and take out services would be unfairly a ected, saying it would be “…incredibly di cult for [them] to o er every item on the menu as take out, with the plastic packaging available; but also eat in, on a reusable plate.” Thus, UKHospitality has said that it would now welcome further discussion on the consultation process.

SOLUTIONS

Tackling some of the many challenges are products such as the award-winning Stagione® from Colpac, who claim that their product has attributes to answer many of the current requirements, and more.

The company point out that they start their product development

considering sustainability, from raw materials source to end of life recycling (Stagione, like many of the rm’s products, being manufactured from FSC certi ed paperboard).

Exporting sustainable packaging ranges like Stagione, however, is complex, they report, as they need to consider a wide range of di erent regulations and facilities for packaging recycling.

“In the UK, we work with OPRL guidelines for domestic ranges. Stagione has high barrier properties achieved through a PP coating, and part of its wide appeal is that the percentage of plastic in each base product is just above 5%, making it recyclable under even to the most stringent of standards. The lids are also recyclable, and the rPET lid contains almost 100% recycled materials,” says Kate Berry, Colpac’s head of marketing & product.

Indicating how demand for such products is now on the rise, during the last year this particular range has been extended from three to seven sizes, the company report, with the most recent addition being the 1250ml Stagione with a square footprint and PP lid. This new pack is now the largest size within their range which o ers leakproof food packaging solutions for foodservice operators, retailers and the take-away/ delivery food markets – whether that be smaller snack packs and individual protein pots, or for main meals.

Stagione 1250ml has the versatility to work across multiple areas of the supply chain and the pack is suitable for the freezer, as well as being able to meet the complex needs of hot hold cabinets and microwaves, Colpac point out.

The pack also o ers a larger surface area for increased product visibility, and the PP lid gives a secure closure whilst providing ventilation to let out condensation but maintain heat. Ideal for kitchen lling or production line operations, Colpac say that the 1250ml pack can be heat sealed and/ or lidded for security, hygiene, and preservation. Delivered nested and with a rigid construction, the pack provides e ciency of storage as well as excellent stacking and space density for on shelf merchandising.

“Demand for food packaging solutions to meet the growth and complexity required in the food to go and the delivered food sectors has grown exponentially,” con rms Kate Berry.

“We have been well placed to support this growth, and with seven packs now within the Stagione range from 150ml to 1250ml, we have broadened our market o ering and are able to meet an even greater level of demand and lling variations.

“Every part of the supply chain has been considered in the speci cation of the entire Stagione range. As a result, it is a highly sought-after product, meeting the needs across a wide range of sectors. Undertaking continual reviews of product ranges, we expect that there will be further development and additions to the Stagione range in the coming months.”

Brakes and dairy supplier, Yew Tree Dairy, have announced a new initiative that will see the major UK foodservice supplier become the rst wholesaler in the country to sell milk in plant-based packaging.

The new Tetra Rex® plant-based carton is claimed to be the world’s rst fully renewable and recyclable beverage carton. It is made from sustainably sourced paperboard and plant-based plastics derived from sugarcane, accredited to Bonsucro certi cation for sustainably sourced sugarcane. Both plants absorb carbon as they grow, removing it from the atmosphere. Once the sugarcane is harvested, it is crushed and the juice turned into ethanol, which is made into a polymer.

The new packaging is recyclable within the UK. The paper bres are turned into new paper products and the plant-based plastics are recycled into products such as reusable crates.

Stuart Smith, merchandising director at Brakes, commented: “We’re committed to supporting our customers to become more sustainable, through the way that we operate and the products that we supply. We were the rst wholesaler to remove black plastics and are delighted that we are now the rst wholesaler to introduce fully renewable milk packaging. It demonstrates Brakes’ CSR commitment to sourcing products responsibly, respecting the planet and caring for people and aligns with parent-company Sysco, which has publicly-stated commitments to reduce the waste generated through its direct operations globally.”

Carl Woodcock of family-run Yew Tree Dairies added: “We have a very long-standing and exclusive relationship with Brakes in foodservice, where we’ve worked side-by-side for many years. We’re therefore particularly pleased to be launching this new innovation with them. Sustainability and transparency are two things which are at the core of our business and the new pack is testament to our commitment in this area.”

Dragan Rajkovic, sustainability sirector at Tetra Pak said: “With the microscope rmly on packaging materials, we’ve been delighted to work with Brakes and Yew Tree Dairy to introduce the Tetra Rex packaging for milk. We have looked at each part of the supply chain to ensure that we have created packaging, which is not only fully renewable, but also stands up to the rigours of the supply chain.”

Part of Colpac’s Stagione range.

Q&A

Andy Smok

(sales and key account manager, WaxWrap)

How do you currently view food to go packaging?

Plastic consumption has taken over our lives and the problem is certainly not unique to the UK. It is a worldwide issue, one that traverses borders and even unites those with di ering political persuasions.

The more widely acknowledged use of plastic in consumer packaging and food carrying/storage solutions has been hard to miss. The latter has been under scrutiny for some time and because it is largely discarded, this is perhaps the most onerous of our plasticbased crimes against the planet.

As a supplier of plastic-free food preservation, WaxWrap, like many companies is committed to the goal of reducing plastic pollution. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that companies must ensure they also provide a viable alternative that is both convenient and cost e ective for the consumer.

What does WaxWrap think is needed in terms of operator requirements and consumer expectations?

Good will and willingness to challenge the plastic industry are vital. The solution is within reach and consumers are willing to ditch the plastic (as demonstrated per consumers’ surveys), but at the moment food to go packaging still predominantly features plastic although there are signs of promising developments.

Supermarkets and retailers should step up to the plate by not only stocking viable alternatives (our biodegradable 100% natural WaxWrap in pre-cut, roll and bag formats being an example), for consumers to purchase, but also by setting an example in terms of their own internal business operations.

Foodservice needs to do more to guide consumers to make changes which will help towards the journey for a zero-waste lifestyle. Ten years ago, we’d not have even considered using a re llable vessel as an alternative to receiving our regular ca eine top up in a disposable cup. The same can be said of the now acceptable shift away from plastic straws and non-environmentally friendly stirrers. We’d have been puzzled by a retailer that supplied food supplies in a plastic free format. Surely the next step should be witnessing a trend amongst foodservice companies which make up fresh sandwiches on site that encourages their customers to bring in a reusable non-plastic bag to transport their lunch back to their o ce?

Equally, producers of plastic alternatives need to work hard to develop innovative products that appeal to consumers and iron out any barriers to purchase.

In February 2019, the UK government joined forces with major global brands and a number of European countries to agree a national pact on plastic packaging which seeks to deliver 30% recycled content by 2022 and ban the use of expanded polystyrene (which takes thousands of years to break down) in food containers and single use cups. The UK has actually pledged to achieve 60% of plastic packaging to be e ectively recycled. The introduction of the RPR (Recycled Plastic Rating) mark is a move which helps businesses showcase the exact plastic credentials of their products.

We commend the attempts to recycle plastic which helps to reduce the amount of energy and resources (such as water, petroleum, natural gas and coal) needed to create it and of course, such initiatives save land ll space and the amount of discarded plastic that ends up directly in the environment. But surely learning to adopt a non-plastic rather than recycled plastic lifestyle is the optimum solution. To erase, or at very least minimise the material that is causing the problem, rather than simply keep using it, albeit in a recycled form?

So, rather than focusing heavily

on reducing plastic usage we need to educate consumers to understand the workable alternatives which could then become the norm. Perhaps we should be doing more in addition to just playing the environmental pollution card by also focusing on the research ndings which indicate the potential health hazards associated with plastic. As part of WaxWrap’s genuine commitment to reducing plastic pollution it has also partnered with the non-pro t organisation Less Plastic. UKbased Less Plastic CIC raises awareness of the impact of plastic on the ocean, providing practical ways for individuals and organisations to make a di erence by using less plastic and taking actions that restore nature. WaxWrap will be donating 1% of its sales to help fund plastic waste production projects.

Which food to go operators are WaxWrap working with?

We’re still a newish brand looking to convince the food to go operators that it’s a viable way forward. It’s early days, so watch this space! However, WaxWrap ran a successful trial for a new initiative last year during Plastic Free July. We basically o ered free WaxWraps to a small number of sandwich bars that made sandwiches on the spot to encourage customers to consider using WaxWraps instead of achieve 60% of plastic packaging to be cling lm, and feedback from the trade was encouraging. of the RPR (Recycled Plastic Rating) showcase the exact plastic credentials of

We commend the attempts to recycle plastic which helps to reduce the amount of energy and resources (such as water, petroleum, natural gas and coal) needed to create it and of course, such initiatives save land ll space and the amount of discarded plastic that ends up directly in the environment. But surely learning to adopt a non-plastic rather than recycled plastic lifestyle is the optimum solution. To erase, or at very least minimise the material that is causing the problem, rather than simply keep using it, albeit in a recycled form?

So, rather than focusing heavily to consider using WaxWraps instead of cling lm, and feedback from the trade was encouraging.