Resourceful change sustains a circular economy

The Ocean Conservancy claims that every year, 8m m/t tonnes of plastics enter the ocean on top of an estimated 150m tonnes that is currently already circulating in the marine environment. It is estimated that up to 60% of sea birds and 100% of sea turtles have been found with some sort of ingested plastic, mistakenly eaten as food*. Food Review asked Shyam Chirkoot to explain his take on fostering a green and circular plastics economy in South Africa.

Scientific studies reveal that microplastics are contained in drinking water, imposing long-term health hazards on human life. These concerns have been adopted into the sustainability goals of the UN and the AU.

Environmentalists and concerned bodies are waging war on plastic packaging, with some countries banning single-use plastics and introducing other tough restrictions. Despite this, plastic has a very important role in the functionality of packaging, and the lack of a suitable green, economical alternative makes plastic a necessary evil, at least for the foreseeable future.

There is an urgent need for a radical change in manufacturing, particularly in the packaging industry. Many countries have adopted the circular economy (CE) model, which mimics the biorhythms of nature. Waste is seen as having value and as a resource for another process. True economic circularity may resolve the problem as well as create other opportunities, but requires ownership by all players. Accordingly, the South African government adapted its National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS), bringing in CE centrally to waste management, and introducing the requirement of Industry-Managed Waste plans, including the packaging industry. Evident from the latest State of Waste Report (SOWR) and the NWMS, much is happening at the regulation level and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) level. Weak governance, an uninterested South African public attitude towards waste management, and inadequate budget provision are some of the recent challenges (SOWR, 2018).

Whilst the revised NWMS has included the circular economy model centrally to its strategy, it has also introduced new Industry Waste Management Plans, including paper and packaging, considered priority waste, amongst others. (DEA, 2019, National Waste Management Strategy, p.28-33.)

Clomark, a prominent manufacturer of printed packaging, and its top management is passionate about environmental initiatives and has been proactive in this regard for almost 20 years, thus becoming a front-runner in adapting to a CE model.

A FLURRY OF CHANGE

Countries are adopting varied approaches, with many recently restricting or banning the use of “single-serve” plastic packaging. Large corporates such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo are under pressure to modify packaging to make it more recyclable, reusable or compostable. There is growing environmental concern in many countries, including South Africa, with some of our customers approaching us for alternative “green” packaging solutions and innovation.

There appears to be conflicting thinking on how to move forward. A typical example is a retailer’s recent change in packaging from a plastic tray to highly-absorbent cardboard. At face value, this appears to be a “green” move. However, it has moved from a 100% recyclable material to a board that, once contaminated with food residue, may not be recyclable, having then to be landfilled or composted. South Africa ranks very high globally in plastic recycling performance, whilst we do not yet have adequate composting facilities, and landfilled sites are near capacity. Hence this packaging initiative may not only have taken away the recyclability of its packaging but may place further pressure on landfilled sites as well as on further deforestation for board.

PLASTICS, THE NECESSARY EVIL?

Packaging SA states that “packaging is an essential part of modern life, allowing people to consume fresh, uncontaminated food and beverages” (Packaging SA, 2017). Plastics are highly environmentally-friendly when correctly disposed of. The alternatives to plastic require more energy to produce and could almost double greenhouse gases.

Economic and social needs drive recycling in South Africa. Recycling performance compares well with many developed countries, largely due to an active, large informal waste sector. In 2018, 46.3% of plastic waste was collected for recycling, with Europe at only 31.1%, placing South Africa as one of the best global mechanical recyclers. The statistics show that recycling of plastics in SA has been steadily increasing since 2009. (Plastics|SA, 2019). There is little separation at source (S@S). Waste pickers perform the sorting, moving them to reclaimers or recyclers, at minimum cost.

Plastic is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Plastic packaging preserves and protects its contents, providing tamper-evident properties, all of these important to consumers. It is much cheaper than alternatives, having high recycling rates in South Africa, and a source of recoverable fuel and energy. Packaging designers and technologists need to make informed material choices, considering reusability or local recyclability alongside functionality, thus promoting economic circularity.

CENTRALISING SUSTAINABILITY: THE ISO14001 ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD

Clomark saw the need for responsible environmental practices and the modification of its manufacturing processes to support environmental sustainability as early as 2001. Accordingly, we included best practices into formal business management systems and became certified to the environmental standard ISO14001 shortly thereafter, along with our quality certification to ISO9001 and automotive standard IATF16949.

Every environmental aspect and related impact is carefully considered, quantified and supported by dynamic improvement plans to reduce the impact on the environment. Waste streams from manufacturing processes are segregated and handled individually, with emphasis on waste reduction. Plastics, paper (which includes board) and metals are recycled as much as possible. Hazardous chemical waste inherent in printing processes is carefully handled and disposed of by certified waste companies. Inks and chemicals are handled in a compliant chemical store. Costly certainly, but it’s about doing the right thing after all.

We have been enthusiastic this year in striving towards “zero waste” on a personal level. Bokashi bins were introduced in the workplace as well as our homes to enable selfcomposting. This brought about a whole lot of awareness in the choice of packaging when shopping. More employees are showing interest in this initiative, and separation at source is growing, not only by Clomark employees but also by related parties.

We are excited about our latest investment in solar energy, which would power a considerable portion of the plant, playing our part in the reduction of greenhouse gases. The sun is the best source of “free” energy, and our objective is to get off-grid as far as possible.

PACKAGING DESIGNERS NEED TO WORK THEIR MAGIC

As far as possible, Clomark works directly with clients’ designers and brand owners to establish product designs that are environmentally-friendly. Key consideration factors are a reduction in the volume of packaging, cost benefits, and the use of recyclable materials. The packaging designer is crucial to the success or failure of the CE performance, as material choices and quantity (shape, dimensions, etc), will ultimately determine downstream success or failure.

Packaging SA compiled and released the “Design for Recycling for Packaging and Paper in South Africa” in 2017, which provide technical information on the various materials used for packaging, recyclability information as well as material alternatives. It is, however, evident that many packaging designers are unaware of the document, and we encourage them to utilise these guidelines in terms of a CE effort.

Whilst many types of plastics are recyclable in South Africa, many complex designs in terms of various different plastic layers coming together to form laminates then render them unrecyclable. Designers need to consider this, alongside functionality. Local R&D is close to making a breakthrough in a recyclable alternative to complex laminates.

We encourage our customers to relook their product formulations that require complex packaging. A possible modification of active ingredients could very well simplify packaging design, as we have seen in the past.

Microbeads used in body scrubs, a growing contaminant of water, have been successfully replaced by organic alternatives such as sugar, salt and wheat by many customers.

We work very closely with key suppliers in design initiatives. Release liners, for example, are largely landfilled in SA. However, should these be collated from the various packers, these may be recycled. We are in discussion with our key customers on the subject.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

The circular economy concept is relatively new to South Africa and will require significant effort from all stakeholders to achieve true circularity. Recycling may not be the ultimate answer to CE, however being a South African strength, it makes total sense to maximise diversion from landfills.

Packaging SA states that “companies failing to address environmental performance in product design and development will find it increasingly difficult to compete in the global market”. Packaging designers need to consider the post-service activities of the packaging, bearing in mind that recycling may not always be the best option, environmentally or economically. •