Editorial | Victoria Hattersley

EDITORIAL |

It’s our final magazine of a year that has seen some tentative return to something like a recognizable state of ‘normality’. In the wake of the COP26 summit – which, while disappointing in some respects, at least set foundations for how the world can attempt to mitigate the very worst of the impending climate catastrophe – we hope the majority of the packaging industry enters 2022 with an even greater determination to play its part. To give a flavour of what this might involve, this issue gives a snapshot of some of the more disruptive innovations and trends we can expect to see throughout the value chain over the next year.

Our lead feature for this issue takes on the subject of labels: UPM Raflatac give us a compelling argument as to why it is so important to make the right labelling choice if the packaging industry wants to reduce its reliance on fossil resources – and why this importance is sometimes overlooked.

Regarding the ongoing challenge of virgin plastics reduction, Elisabeth Skoda recently spoke to Lily Shepherd of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy about the 2021 Global Commitment Progress Report, produced in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme. She discussed the main findings from this report and what they mean for brands and retailers, which makes for interesting reading.

Libby Munford homes in on some of the most exciting areas of recent development in sustainable packaging innovation. Elsewhere, Fin Slater speaks to Aquapack’s John Williams about barrier properties and some of the key issues around sustainability, recyclability and compostability, including ‘forever chemicals’.

And as ever, we have also invited some guest contributors: we welcome back TerraCycle’s Tom Szaky, who tells us why we need to rethink our current reuse models. Our On Second Thoughts… columnist for this issue is US-based environmental advisor Holly Kaufman, who questions whether plastic is really the safest, most hygienic choice.

Ending on a positive note: next year we are looking forward to (finally) returning to a full programme of physical events. Alongside year-round virtual panels, the Sustainable Packaging Summit will host four in-person events in 2022. The high-level summit in Lisbon on 24-25 May will be the centrepiece of the programme – a ‘Davos’ for the packaging and FMCG value chain to address its key sustainability challenges. In addition, we’ll be hosting special conferences at Anuga FoodTec in April, FachPack in September, and Q4 will see the launch of a new event focusing on the opportunities in pre-commercialized sustainable packaging innovation. No doubt like many of you, we can’t wait to hold face-to-face discussions on the major sustainability challenges facing the industry. We hope to see you there. n

Victoria Hattersley

Victoria Hattersley

vh@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeVicky