EDITORIAL |
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I write this we are gearing up for the 2021 Sustainability Awards to be held at FachPack, and by the time this issue goes to print we will know our winners. Given the year that it’s been – the ongoing Covid crisis, further evidence of the damage our activities are having on natural ecosystems – it’s heartening to see what is still being accomplished on this front. All our nominees have added something important to the sustainability conversation, whether that’s developing a solution to drive a circular economy, recyclable packaging, bio-based packaging or something else entirely. Front and centre of this year’s issue, we look at what’s been happening with our Overall Winner of the Sustainability Awards 2019, The HolyGrail project. Now in its second iteration, we spoke to project partners AIM and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to find out what this phase involves and how digital watermarking fits into the wider environmental picture. Elsewhere, Fin Slater has been talking to the Forest Stewardship Council to find out about the valuable work they are doing in the renewables sector. I myself have been burrowing into the world of track & trace technology; I spoke to representatives from PragmatIC Semiconductor and SATO to find out how, in an increasingly complex global supply chain, technologies such as RFID and blockchain can help secure goods from the producer to the consumer. I’ve also been speaking to Dave Swedes from Valco Melton about how increasing levels of automation and digitalization are helping to build more secure, efficient and sustainable production models.
Victoria Hattersley Senior Writer
Elisabeth Skoda highlights the important – and some might say underappreciated – role adhesives play in, quite literally as she points out, holding packaging together. She also recently interviewed certified IP lawyer Dr Eckhard Ratjen about trademarks in packaging and all the issues surrounding these – something that all brand owners have to consider sooner or later. Finally, our On Second Thoughts… column this time comes courtesy of Andrew Manly of AIPIA, who puts the question: Has the plastic industry been hijacked by ‘plastic haters’? We’ll leave you to decide whether that’s the case. Finally, I’d like to remind all our readers that our Sustainable Packaging Summit virtual platform will be packed with panel discussions and interactive meetings every week throughout Q4. If you haven’t already, sign up for free to join upcoming live sessions and access any discussions you have missed on demand (and catch up with the Sustainability Awards n 2021 ceremony if you missed it) at PackagingSummit.earth/join.
Victoria Hattersley Victoria Hattersley vh@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeVicky
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