Consumer Market Demands and Sustainable Films
March 23, 2021
Plastic waste continues to be a great public concern along with the environmental impacts surrounding the manufacture and disposal of these products. Today’s consumers are making the conscious decision to choose brands that are leading the way in sustainable initiatives, with up to 68% choosing a sustainable product over a name-brand1.
Environmental impact concerns aside, packaging will never be eliminated from society. It is necessary for the safety and quality of food products, extended shelf life, and overall reduction of food waste. But efforts can be made to reduce the amount of packaging required or the materials used.
Large name brands including Walmart, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Kraft-Heinz have taken notice of the changing market and are pledging to have all recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. By 2030, Coca-Cola is planning to use at least 50% of recycled material in their packaging and Walmart aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by one gigaton.
To accommodate these sustainability goals, the flexible packaging industry is finding ways to create recycle-ready film structures, add increased amounts of post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin into films, and reduce excess packaging or processing wastes while maintaining food and pharmaceutical requirements.
In the flexible packaging industry, one specific area of focus is the reusability/recyclability of the overall film structure. We typically print on polyester film (PET) due to its easy machinability, strength, and temperature resistance. However, PET laminated to a polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) sealant, is not easily recyclable. Separating PET from the sealant web requires significant effort and cost to get the film layers near their virgin state in order to be reused. Due to the difficulties, these films are usually placed in a landfill or burned for energy. Recycle-ready structures are typically produced using a single polymer, such as PE/PE or OPP/OPP, that can be blended back into new films or incorporated into industrial products such as plastic lumber.
In general, the flexible packaging industry has a less significant carbon footprint in comparison to other packaging formats due to less fossil fuel usage, product-to-package weight ratio, and the amount of packaging material that ends up in the landfill. But, as an industry, we can still do our part to adopt materials and practices that will not negatively impact our environment.
1CGS Survey Reveals Sustainability Is Driving Demand and Customer Loyalty
Written by Elizabeth Erb (R&D Department)