Packaging - A sustainable approach

A SUSTAINABLE SIP

BUSINESS BRILLIANCE NEED NOT COME AT THE COST OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND BY REMOVING PLASTIC OUT OF PACKAGING, REDUCING THE CARBON IMPACT IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND REDUCING THE END-OF-LIFE IMPACT OF PACKAGING, WE CAN HAVE OUR BEER AND DRINK IT TOO, EXPLAINS ADAM PLATTS, SALES DIRECTOR AT DS SMITH PACKAGING UK

COMMENT

Europe produces over 20 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year and 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enters our oceans annually, in fact, experts predict that by weight there will be as much plastic as fish by 2050.

At DS Smith, we have already developed over 650 designs that replace plastic and have identified areas within supermarkets where a staggering 1.5 million tonnes of plastic could be substituted with more sustainable cardboard alternatives by 2030.

Indeed, sustainability does not start or stop with packaging – we continually work with our customers to ensure we design for recyclability, design out waste and pollution from the outset of the supply chain and create packaging suited to a circular economy. This includes every application in beer and cider packaging for our brewery customers too.

SUSTAINABILITY AND BEER

We recently partnered with world leading consumer research company Ipsos MORI to explore consumer attitudes towards sustainable packaging since the Covid-19 pandemic – 85% of consumers want to buy products which-use ‘as little packaging as possible’ and 43% feeling guilty about ordering items online which arrive with too much or unsustainable packaging. The results are clear: those brands and retailers who place importance on sustainable packaging now, will reap the rewards in the future.

And, supermarkets and breweries are taking note of this public attitude. With Europe consuming 20% of the world’s beer the beer market is expected to grow 9.4% annually, businesses large and small need to ensure they’re growing sustainably too, especially to remain competitive.

For example, one of the UK’s major retailers has pledged to remove 1 billion pieces of plastic from its stores by the end of 2020 which meant family-owned brewery, Theakstons, needed to reject plastic and use 100% recyclable material in order to obtain a can listing in stores.

As such, the 194-year-old company adapted to the times and declined plastic can high-cones in favour of DS Smith’s 100% recyclable can topper for its world famous Old Perculier ale, with over 1 million cans expected to be sold by one major retailer each year. As a key collaborative partner, DS Smith delivered from brief to production in just 6 weeks worked with brand designers to ensure a distinctive 100% coverage of black ink matched the Theakston’s Old Peculier can – a key design element that captured the history and feel of a much beloved brewery.

MOVING THE BEER

A typical product journey has to survive up to 50 touch points and we help breweries of all sizes to protect products at each touchpoint in the journey as sustainably as possible. Using technology that protects against

Covid-19 may have advanced the evolution of alcohol sales by up to 3 years.

all kinds of drops, impacts, shocks, crushes and shakes is imperative – and we draw on insight from customers and the logistics industry to accurately replicate the most severe strains and stresses a package can receive across the ecommerce supply chain.

On the journey, on average, 55% of each cardboard box is empty or filled with unnecessary packaging, leading to 122 million tonnes of CO2 being emitted by shipping empty space each year. A small change to package design however can create huge benefits that have a knockon effect across the supply chain. This is why we work with our partners to create tailored ‘distribution efficient’ packaging, that cuts carbon footprint and reduces delivery miles. Striking the balance between cutting down excess packaging and protecting products in transit is paramount.

By making the switch away from heavyweight cardboard packs to lighter alternatives, the packaging volume and weight can be reduced. This cuts down on the number of deliveries to the breweries. For example, for one major brewery customer, this created a 35% decrease in the number of pallets being delivered to their warehouses – which enabled 35% less warehousing space, light, and heat too, proving huge cost savings to the customer.

BEER SELLS

We know the value of pushing our customers’ sustainability message: the location and clarity of packaging information such as materials used and how-to-recycle is essential. Our research indicates there are two main locations where consumers look for information. On-shelf, where 70% of purchase decisions are made, and on the primary packaging, where 53% of consumers are looking for informational messages on the products themselves.

When it comes to good branding, the medium is as important as the message. In the consumer goods industry, packaging has long stopped only carrying functional messages. Today, brands are looking to make a deeper, more emotional connection with their consumers and we’re seeing brands engage with their customers on a wholly new level.

Businesses only get one chance to make a first impression and packaging solutions that can be personalised with inside print, ensure it is a good one. Messages written within boxes are now essential means of creating relationships with consumers and a key part of the unboxing experience – it can even affect whether consumers post positively about their purchase on social channels.

Indeed, In the past five years, EU breweries have seen an 85% increase in consumption; and industry insiders suggest that Covid-19 may have advanced the evolution of alcohol sales by up to 3 years. Having products in-store with pertinent messages is important but breweries cannot afford to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to engaging with new channels to sell their products to customers, the e-commerce channel included, especially when venturing out is less common.

At DS Smith, our innovations in e-commerce packaging design, robust testing methods, and unrivalled insight into European supply chain complexities ensure our customers have scalable packaging solutions that enable them to get online quickly and safely.

Business brilliance need not come at the cost of the environment and by removing plastic out of packaging, reducing the carbon impact in the supply chain and reducing the end-of-life impact of packaging, we can have our beer and drink it too