envoPAP - Sustainable Business Magazine

ENVOPAP

A MATERIAL REVOLUTION SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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SPONSORED FEATURE: ENVOPAP ENVOCOPY - ENVOPAP’S FLAGSHIP PRODUCT - ENVOCOPY

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FLOWERENVOPAP’ - FLOWER WRAPS, PART OF THEIR ENVOBARRIER RANGE

A MATERIAL REVOLUTION

By Kaushal Shah, Founder and CEO of envoPAP

In the pre-Covid-19 world, sustainability was on the rise. Public concern about single-use packaging waste was growing, regulators globally were imposing progressive policies, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies were increasingly committed to reforming their packaging systems to be more sustainable.

However, the pandemic has led to a rapid increase in e-commerce and online spending in a world of social distancing. As many countries face ‘second waves’ and renewed lockdown restrictions, research suggests consumers will maintain their online shopping habits due to convenience. This is evident across Asia – and China in particular – where e-commerce has rsemained high following COVID-19.

The environmental impact of single-use packaging waste seems to have fallen from its elevated position on the public’s agenda. Mainstream media scrutiny has also temporarily eased as concerns over hygiene and transmission risk take precedence. The combination has meant increased use of disposables and packaged items.

KAUSHAL SHAH, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ENVOPAP

The dramatic increase in e-commerce shipments and home-delivery services not only poses a threat to the environment but is a real challenge for packaging companies.

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SPONSORED FEATURE: ENVOPAP

There is an abundance of scalable alternatives to the traditional, environmentally damaging single-use plastic and woodbased packaging products. Using agricultural waste - which otherwise would be burned and pollute land, air, and water – is an exciting way of producing sustainable paper and packaging solutions.

In countries such as India, huge quantities of agricultural waste are traditionally burnt by farmers. In November 2019, Delhi’s air pollution was fourteen times higher than the World Health Organization’s limit, making it among the most polluted cities globally.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a United Nations body, attributes Delhi’s issues to the burning of agricultural waste in the north of the country.

IT IS CRUCIAL TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE LARGER GOAL OF SOLVING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS, AND NOT LET THE PANDEMIC COMPROMISE DECADES OF EFFORT TO MAKE PACKAGING SUSTAINABLE. It is crucial to remain focused on the larger goal of solving the global climate crisis, and not let the pandemic compromise decades of effort to make packaging sustainable.

The Prince of Wales echoed these sentiments in his recent speech at Climate Week NYC. The Prince noted the climate crisis is “rapidly becoming a comprehensive catastrophe that will dwarf the impact of the coronavirus pandemic” and without swift action “we will miss the window of opportunity to reset for a more sustainable and inclusive future.”

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Rather than burning it, agricultural waste from a number of different crops can be used effectively to create sustainable packaging products. Waste fibers and residues can be cooked, pressed, and dried to produce the materials. Therefore, using agricultural waste is beneficial by creating a sustainable packaging and paper solution, but it reduces pollution and harmful emissions being released into the atmosphere too.

Similarly, in Europe, paper factories generally use timber as their raw material for producing paper and packaging products. This is hugely damaging to the environment as it involves cutting down trees and increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With its carbon neutral production cycle, the use of agricultural waste for packaging and paper products is a much more sustainable option.

It provides a solution to rapid deforestation whilst having the same functionality as traditional packaging production for a fraction of the environmental cost.

KAUSHAL AND TEAM

In the future, retailers and companies will have to balance sustainability with cost, performance, and convenience. Using agricultural waste can generate the same yield as traditional plastic and wood-based packaging. It also has a wide application base and provides additional income for agricultural workers and farmers.

Whilst sustainability’s momentum has been temporarily stifled by the pandemic, and consumer behavior has shifted due to the acceleration of e-commerce, the UK government has also delayed its ban on single-use plastic to October 2020, instead of April 2020 as originally planned.

This means now is the time for companies and retailers to be bold and proactive and not unduly cautious.

Innovative new material compositions, designs and technologies are available and

must be utilized. In the post-COVID environment, retailers and brands should be looking to identify companies who can rapidly scale their production and integrate their services directly within their supply chain.

Countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya have paved the way, successfully integrating sustainable measures and banning single-use plastics. This reaffirms sustainability as the driving force of the new, environmentally focused and e-commerce driven retail sector.

Whilst COVID-19 has fundamentally changed consumer behavior, it is unlikely to eradicate long-term sentiment towards environmentally friendly products – but the speed of change has undoubtedly been affected.

the packaging value chain. If appropriate steps are taken, the packaging industry can navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

Innovative and sustainable packaging solutions exist in the form of using agricultural waste to produce packaging and paper. It is essential they are adopted for the benefit of consumers and the planet. c To learn more about envoPAP and their sustainable materials, visit https://envopap.com/ KAUSHAL VISITING A PULP PROCESSING PLANT IN NORTHERN INDIA

We must act now to halt the trend of single-use packaging in e-commerce purchases, so sustainability can return to the top of SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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