Must do greener

Here, we offer a timely reminder of the requirements and implications of EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility), and also hear about some of the packaging products, innovations and ideas the food to go retailing business, and the supply chain which supports it, are actively embracing in order to meet them.

Epr Explained

“Being introduced in the UK in 2024, EPR is a policy holding producers responsible for the collection, sorting, recycling, or disposal of their product packaging. Introducing this new policy means it will soon be down to businesses to fund the total cost of managing their household product packaging from production to disposal,” David Meehan, general manager of sustainable waste management company Biffa’s compliance team, Biffpack, reminds us.

“Household packaging is defined as anything that may be removed from a household, including large bulky packaging from white goods in addition to smaller everyday grocery packaging.

“The policy - designed to transfer the annual £1.7bn financial burden of household packaging waste collection from taxpayers to producers - aims to generate accountability across waste streams, plus encourage and empower brands to think more sustainably about their packaging life-cycle post-purchase.

“Where historically, the responsibility has sat with a small group of around 8000 compliant producers, now the responsibility will be spread further to include a greater number of smaller producers. Biffa recognises the potential for EPR to help businesses better engage with a circular economy (where waste is recovered, recycled or regenerated in a closed loop).”

WHICH BUSINESSES ARE IMPACTED?

Any business that handles over 25 tonnes of packaging in a year will be affected by EPR legislation, say Biffpack. Whether your business purchases packaging for products or you are producing packaging to sell to other businesses, if you handle over 25 tonnes per year, you are identified as a ‘producer’ and must act now.

‘Producers’ include the following.

Brand owners – who sell packaged goods under their brand name. When a brand isn’t identifiable, the responsibility lies with the business responsible for packing or filling the packaging.

Importers – who import packaged products into the UK. Service providers – who hire out or lend reusable packaging (such as supermarket crates).

Distributors – who manufacture or import empty packaging and sell that packaging to UK businesses (not already obligated as a producer).

Online marketplaces – that operate a marketplace whereby non-UK sellers can sell packaged products or empty packaging to UK consumers.

Sellers – who sell packaged products or packaging to the end-user.

All charities are exempt, even if they sell packaged products (such as boxes of Christmas cards) in-store or online.

“There are many scenarios that exist within these definitions, and the impact on businesses will vary,” David Meehan continues. “That’s why the packaging compliance experts at Biffpack are working with businesses to ensure compliance is met. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has also released an online obligation checker to help businesses understand if they are affected by the new legislation.”

How Businesses Will Be Affected

“The scheme is set to impact smaller and bigger businesses differently. Smaller organisations with a turnover between £1 million and £2 million and handling 25-50 tonnes of packaging in a calendar year will have to provide detailed reporting on the packaging they produce and how the waste will be managed. Larger businesses with a turnover above £2 million handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year will have to cover the cost of EPR regarding their waste and report their data every six months,” David Meehan explains.

“The collection of this data must begin from January 2023 to create a full calendar year of data, with the first six months due for submission between July and October 2023 for large organisations or between January and April 2024 for small organisations. Due to the lower threshold introduced by EPR, there will be lots of newly affected businesses in the UK that will need to review their reporting processes and make changes to start capturing data.

“The government estimates that producers’ costs will be around £1.7bn in the first full year of implementation. However, the government needs to calculate the cost based on the new reporting structure. Producer fees will be calculated in 2024 after a year of reporting.

“Fees will initially depend on how much it costs to process or dispose of the packaging based on the volume. However, this will change over time and move to a system based on comprehensive recyclability assessments.”

Reduce Financial Impact With Vital Preparation

For the first year, Biffpack report, companies will have to report on aluminium, steel, glass, wood, plastic, paper, cardboard, fibre-based composites and other materials like industrially biodegradable packaging.

Additional reporting requirements will be introduced as time goes on. For example, from January 2023, a business may only need to report a plastic bottle as a 10g clear plastic bottle. But as EPR progresses, they will need to break down each plastic type used to make that bottle so that it can be recycled more effectively.

“In short, the legislation will increasingly favour recyclable materials - the easier packaging is to reuse or recycle, the lower the cost to producers. Higher volumes of waste created by packaging choices will increase costs. Reviewing and redesigning your packaging now may incur costs in the short term but will ensure your EPR obligation is minimal going forward,” says David Meehan.

“At a minimum, businesses must understand the requirements for branded products and packaging that will be disposed of in public bins. Better yet, identify by brand which products will be categorised as household waste and record the materials that make up their packaging; this will establish a clear head-start with reporting. Beginning to sort products into these areas will make the transition much smoother.

“Ultimately, the best way to prepare for EPR is to ensure you have a thorough understanding of the recyclable potential of the packaging you handle. Then, use the reporting data you collect this year to pre-empt costs and plan more sustainable solutions for your packaging. Crucially, be mindful of time. Preparation is key, and it’s essential to report in October the product packaging used since January.”

Business owners are not alone, point out Biffpack. There will be systems available to help with the EPR transition. DEFRA is developing a calculator to help businesses estimate how much EPR will cost them individually. The government is also offering help via a third-party compliance scheme. This allows a third party to help you register and report your data if needed. At Biffa, for example, their EPR implementation team supports businesses with getting EPR ready, running seminars and clinics that explain the new regulations.

“There’s real merit in EPR,” feels David Meehan. “It will benefit the circular economy by incentivising businesses to recycle more. It encourages greater use of highly recycled and durable materials, which should spark a mindset shift from ‘produce to dispose’ to ‘produce to reuse’. Keeping track of and effectively managing packaging waste enables businesses to contribute to a ‘Waste Net Zero’ future.

Working Together

Sustainable packaging manufacturer, Coveris, has been supporting the well known food to go business, Simply Lunch, with the launch of its eye-catching new Stir Me Up Salad range that features some vibrant packaging designed to achieve visual appeal.

Through its partnership with Coveris, Simply Lunch’s Stir Me Up Salads are also delivering significant environmental benefits too. Moving to Coveris’s lidded trays - a recyclable solution - Simply Lunch report that they are achieving an 85% plastic reduction compared to its previous packaging.

Aligned in their commitments to sustainability, at the same time this packaging development supports the packaging company’s vision of no waste and Simply Lunch’s waste reduction goals through material downgauging and the maximisation of material lifecycles.

Made from certified, sustainably-sourced board, OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) guidance helps consumers to engage with Simply Lunch’s sustainability journey and the range’s recyclability.

Simply Lunch’s Stir Me Up Salad range consists of five new and re-imagined salads, such as Bhaji Rainbow Salad and Chicken Caesar Salad, now available to purchase. With this range, Simply Lunch says that it has utilised the packaging’s fully printable outer face to create an engaging range that communicates its values, such as making sustainable eating easier. The range’s shelf-appeal is enhanced further thanks to the packaging’s large window offering consumers greater product visibility, grabbing their attention.

“Working with like-minded packaging partners is key for us to hit our ambitious sustainability objectives. Coveris has supported us in the development of this product, providing expertise where needed. This pack reinforces our purpose of ‘improving lives through delicious food’,” says William Page, Simply Lunch’s marketing & branding manager.

Paul Robertson, Coveris’s food-on-the-move director, adds: “Coveris is committed to its No Waste vision and is proud to support Simply Lunch on their sustainability journey with this packaging development. Simply Lunch has utilised the packaging’s printable space brilliantly to create a range that stands out on the shelf.”

At the end of last year, Coveris celebrated the success of its partner, Notpla, in winning what is regarded by many as the world’s most prestigious environmental award, The Earthshot Prize.

Founded in 2020 by His Royal Highness, Prince William, and the Royal Foundation, the Earthshot Prize aims to find innovative solutions that can repair the planet by 2030. Recognised for their inspiring efforts to create a fully sustainable and biodegradable alternative to plastic made from seaweed and plants, Notpla were awarded as the winner in the category ‘Build a Waste-Free World’.

As the exclusive development and print partner for Notpla’s coated board packaging, Coveris has worked extensively with Notpla to manufacture a variety of fully printed board packs using their award-winning barrier coating technology. Made from seaweed and plant extracts, Notpla Coating is applied to sustainably sourced cardboard, creating a food-safe barrier function and naturally biodegrades in four to six weeks. As a result, Notpla’s specially coated board packs offer the food to go and takeaway sector a new unique range of protective, recyclable and biodegradable solutions in an effort to tackle sustainability concerns.

Colpac have announced a new product line extension featuring a unique bowl shape that maximises product visibility and value perception, claim the company. Its high-end construction reflects the quality of the food product within, and the wide opening also enables consumers easy access for consumption and is perfectly shaped to fit in the hand too, the packaging company point out.

Stagione® bowls are suitable for a wide spectrum of products across the food to go marketplace, including frozen and chilled dishes, hot-food-to-go, and delivered meals (they are available in 600ml, 1050ml, and 1300ml sizes).

Each bowl is microwavable, features high barrier properties and has a tight-fitting PP lid which prevents leaking and provides ventilation to let out condensation whilst maintaining heat. rPET lids with an anti-mist coating are also available for the 600ml and 1300ml sizes, so these bowls can also be utilised for packaging chilled food-to-go.

The new bowls, along with the entire Stagione range, are manufactured from mixed FSC® accredited board, thus meeting the coating levels for CPI and OPRL’s recyclability thresholds for 2023.

As the rigid construction of the Stagione bowls allows nesting and easy stacking for transport or display, they are ideal for both manual fills back of house or for full production line pack and process too, with options to heat seal, being certified for use in freezers, chilled food cabinets, hot hold cabinets and microwaves.

Since launching Stagione, Colpac says that it has witnessed significant demand for the innovative, award-winning range, their product development team having also expanded the range of rectangular trays from three to seven, including sizes from 150ml through to 1250ml. The addition of the bowls is testament to the unique capabilities of the range, feel Colpac, along with their ability to design and manufacture packaging solutions which directly meet the needs of retailers and food service operators.

“We continually review our product ranges, and the addition of Stagione bowls demonstrates our drive to bring unique packaging concepts to the market,” comments Kate Berry, Colpac’s head of marketing & product.