Packaging Innovations 2019 review: Plastics front up to fiber-based challengers

19 Sep 2019 --- The drive for increased environmental sustainability in packaging was once again top of the agenda at Packaging Innovations in London, UK. Private and public concern for the rising tide of global plastic pollution has prompted regulatory action, with the UK government set to impose a plastics tax on packaging containing less than 30 percent recycled content, in addition to an “all-in” Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and reforms on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Packaging Innovations 2019 provided abundant evidence that packaging design is reacting to these changes, as the plastics versus plastic-free debate played out through a wealth of innovation on both sides.

Flying the “plastic-out” flag most passionately, A Plastic Planet’s influence at the show grew exponentially this year. The NGO’s plastic-free aisle of last year transformed into the “Plastic-Free Land,” showcasing several progressive, plastic-alternative suppliers. During the show, A Plastic Planet took the opportunity to launch its Plastic Free Trust Mark on a global scale, in partnership with certifying body Control Union. Already adopted by over 100 brands, Frederikke Magnussen, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet, tells PackagingInsights that the launch could prompt a worldwide adoption of the trust mark and “get the big boys on board.”

A Plastic Planet's Plastic Free Trust Mark has launched globally.“Plastic-Free Land”
A popular exhibitor in “Plastic-Free Land” was Reel Brands, a paperboard and biopolymer specialist and manufacturing partner of Transcend Packaging. Reel Brands showcased the “world’s first” plastic-free cardboard ice bucket and the “world’s first” plastic-free waterproof, fully recyclable and home compostable fish box. Also on the stand was Transcend’s plastic-free Bio Cup for hot drinks, which will launch as a 100 percent sustainable cup sourced from PEFC/FSC-certified forests later this year.

Alongside Reel Brands was start-up Flexi-Hex. Originally designed to protect surfboards, the cardboard Flexi-Hex material has been adapted to prevent damage to bottles in transit and reduce the total amount of packaging required, while also providing visual appeal. Also exhibiting in “Plastic-Free Land” was AB Group Packaging, showcasing its EFC/FSC paper shopping bags, which are practically impossible to rip and can carry items of up to 16kg.

Away from “Plastic-Free Land,” e-commerce specialist DS Smith showcased its new reusable and recyclable Nespresso box, which comes equipped with a tamper-proof mechanism and aims to encapsulate the personalized shopping experience of the coffee brand’s luxury retail stores. DS Smith recently sold its Plastics Division amid increased demand for its fiber-based solutions. Frank McAtear, Business Development Manager for Premium Drinks at DS Smith, tells PackagingInsights that the supplier is experiencing “a real sense of urgency from brand owners and consumers alike to avoid the environmental damage of single-use plastics. Our customers’ demand for fiber-based solutions is gaining momentum big time,” McAtear says.Reel Brands' plastic-free waterproof, fully recyclable and home compostable fish box.

Another fiber-based packaging specialist, BillerudKorsnäs, provided further evidence of the “plastic-out, paper-in” trend. The Swedish supplier displayed Wolf Eigold’s new pasta packs and Diamant Gelier Zauber’s fruit spread packs, which were both recently transitioned from flexible plastic pouches to paper-based pouches through BillerudKorsnäs’ services.

Glass resurgence and seaweed sachets
Fiber-based packaging is not the only material to experience increased popularity as a result of anti-plastic sentiment. Richard Drayson, Sales Director of Aegg, tells PackagingInsights that customers are increasingly interested in the supplier’s food and beverage glass ranges as an alternative to plastics, although Aegg’s plastic sales have not declined, he notes. Aegg showcased its four new glass ranges during the show, including glass jars and bottles for food, glass bottles for soft drinks, juices and soups, glass bottles for water and a table-presentable range. The supplier is also set to open a US$3.3 million UK warehouse facility later this year in response to growing demands for its glass packaging.

“Our glass business is growing above our plastics business,” notes Drayson. “There is a demand for glass because of its high recyclability, but also because of the explosion in spirits and the associated soft drinks. We are also seeing refurbishment across the UK of glass furnaces,” he explains.

Originally developed to protect surfboards, Flexi-Hex has been adapted for e-commerce bottle deliveries.In the takeaway sector, Robin Clark, Business Partnerships Director of JustEat, tells PackagingInsights that the online food delivery giant has partnered with innovators to create seaweed alginates sachets and seaweed-lined cardboard boxes after promising trials in 2018. Like many, Clark believes that plastics still have an important role to play in a more sustainable future for packaging, while reiterating that alternative materials should be considered on a pack-by-pack basis.

A circular plastics economy
In some industry quarters, the argument that plastics are the most advantageous packaging material in terms of net environmental impact remains strong. Speaking to PackagingInsights from the show floor, Bruce Bratley, Founder and CEO of First Mile, a recycling company specializing in business waste management, called for more standardization in what types of plastics are used for packaging and a more fluid value chain for recycled plastics.

“Otherwise, we are at risk of being forced to use other materials which will be bad for manufacturers on a cost basis, but also from a carbon perspective, because the embedded carbon of plastic is relatively low compared to paper or glass or cardboard,” Bratley explains.

Similarly, Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Veolia UK & Ireland, reminds us that “we need plastics for the convenience, lightweighting, energy savings and food safety [and that] there is definitely a need to re-promote these benefits to the public.” RPC M&H Plastics's exhibited its new spiral technique for cosmetics.

Kirkman explains that Veolia is ready and able to invest in the facilities to supply more recycled plastics, but that currently, the demand is not there. He believes that demand will increase as a result of the UK Plastics Tax and that “the announcement [of the proposed tax] has already started to move people.”

Plastics innovation remains strong
Packaging Innovations 2019 evidenced that innovation in plastics packaging design remains robust, despite the more serious challenges from plastic-free solutions at this year’s show. On the sustainability front, the PET Blue Ocean Promobox demonstrated the material PET Blue Ocean – a bluish material with up to 100 percent recycled content in the center layer of its polyester material. Despite the high proportion of recycled material, it does not appear inferior and makes no sacrifices in quality or visual appearance.

Also serving to demonstrate the aesthetic qualities of plastics, RPC M&H Plastics exhibited its new spiral technique for cosmetics that allows a brand to add a series of ridges inside the bottle to create a straight line or spiral effect inside the mold of bottles. The technique allows the bottle to be perfectly smooth on the outside while inside forming small ridges of material to visualize the spiral effect.

Schur Star's Zip-Pop Bag releases herbs and spices from a top “flavor chamber” during cooking.Meanwhile, the Schur Star Zip-Pop Bag spotlighted the high potential for added functionality and convenience in flexible plastic pouches. Developed over many years, the Zip-Pop Bag releases herbs and spices from a top “flavor chamber” during cooking at exactly the right moment, removing the need for the consumer to stop and stir the product.

On its 10th birthday, Packaging Innovations showcased an industry that has moved beyond theoretical discussions on sustainability to begin the demonstration of tangible solutions. Innovation in plastic-alternative materials, especially fiber-based packaging, makes it easier to imagine a future without plastics, but whether plastic-alternatives are the best solution for the environment remains a point of great contention. 

Plastic packaging advocates maintain that the establishment of a circular plastics economy can ultimately solve the plastic pollution crisis, but improved competition from alternative materials and the UK government’s new waste strategies look set to add even more urgency to the circular transition.

By Joshua Poole