SUSTAINABILITY: THROUGH THE LENS OF 2020
Tilo Quink
Elisabeth Skoda caught up with Tilo Quink, global head of Henkel Packaging Adhesives to find out the latest view on sustainability, and how trends and global impacts such as COVID-19 this year have shed more light on the ongoing debate. ES: In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges the packaging industry has to face in 2020? TQ: Over the last few years, we’ve seen a negative shift in the public opinion and consumer perception of plastics in packaging. This negative reputation is challenging and misleading, as packaging plays a vital role in keeping essential items like food and medicines fresh and safe. Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of packaging clear: consumers are more hesitant to purchase food without packaging, and the demand for packaged food has been growing. Now, more than ever, the focus must be not on banning plastic, but moving toward a circular economy. Going circular isn’t just coming from consumers, but also from governments, brand owners and retailers – and definitely from the packaging industry itself. With the perception of packaging becoming more positive in the eyes of the consumer given the current global situation, we must take this chance to meet their expectations – and our own – when it comes to sustainability. Working toward a circular economy means a fundamental change in how the entire value chain works together, and it means taking a critical look at how we’ve done everything up until now. From manufacturing methods, design processes, materials used and disposal solutions – it’s all being put to the test. The challenge is to rethink everything we know about packaging and how it’s made. In order to do this, we have to get the entire value chain involved and work together to identify solutions that make lasting contributions. ES: What trends and developments do you foresee in the coming year? TQ: It’s clear that sustainability and specifically the circular economy will be driving a transformational change in the packaging industry. But there won’t be one particular breakthrough or solution – many factors need to come together to create a circular economy with packaging that is both practical and economically viable. On the one hand, sustainability and
a circular economy mean a clear increase in the demand for recyclable packaging and new designs that enable recyclability and/or make use of recycled raw materials without compromising functionality. On the other hand, we need the proper infrastructure that enables the production of high-quality recyclate from both post-industrial and post-consumer waste. This is also leading to an increased challenging and questioning of existing packaging design choices. The main trend we see is the increased usage of mono-material designs that are designed to achieve the same or similar functionality as multi-material film structures. Additionally, we have the challenge of using recycled materials for food contact applications, as mechanically recycled plastics and paper are not yet allowed in food contact in many cases. Chemical recycling could be the answer here, but it is still in a very early stage and is still a new technology.
ES: How can packaging become even more resource efficient? What would an ideal circular economy look like?
TQ: The first step would be to avoid the use of non-recyclable materials that serve no purpose other than making the packaging visually appealing for marketing purposes. Another important aspect is the right selection of raw materials for the right applications to minimize the environmental footprint. Modern packaging designs are the result of decades of resource optimization; it’s very unlikely that even more reductions can be made by going down this same path. Instead, we must unlock the potential of recycling, as recycled materials only have a fraction of the footprint of their virgin counterparts. To create a true circular economy, it is important to balance resource efficiency with recyclability. This means always having the lowest overall footprint in mind when it comes to both recyclability as well as reusability. Plastics per se are exceptional materials for protecting food and medical products, for example, and are lightweight, making them efficient to transport. It is our responsibility to find ways to recycle it properly and get this valuable material back into the stream of raw materials. Packaging Europe | 15 |
