More than one hundred persons attended the event, as part of the trade fair for innovations in packaging technologies.
The conference took place in a context in which many countries around the world have already taken steps to limit the use of single-use plastics and the European Parliament has approved a complete ban on a range of single-use plastics. The driving force behind these measures is growing awareness of the pollution of seas and rivers caused by plastic wastes, and of eco-system contamination due to micro-plastics.
Alternatives derived from natural and renewable sources (i.e. using recyclable and biodegradable materials) already exist, and could replace these plastic products, if wisely used. Many FSC-certified products made from paper, cardboard or wood from responsibly managed forest and/or recycled sources already offer practical alternatives. The event was a great opportunity to present these different options.
Some obvious examples of existing alternatives are paper bags, paper fruit and vegetable carriers and cardboard cups, some of which are used more than once. The company Beautiful Cups for instance actively encourages the re-use of its products and already has a project in place in partnership with Renewi, where used cups are eventually recycled into toilet paper. Beverage cartons, usually composed of 75% of cardboard, are also often recycled. The manufacturer Tetra Pak is innovating in this field as well, by producing packaging entirely derived from natural sources, in which bio-based plastic is used. They also hope to find an alternative to the thin protective film of aluminium used in some forms of packaging.
Arjowiggins Graphic is a well-known manufacturer of high-quality recycled paper for graphic applications, but is also active in the production of cardboard for packaging. Many of their customers are spontaneously opting for paper bags or cardboard packaging, and the company is increasingly developing new products to go beyond their customers’ requests. For instance, it has launched loyalty cards made of paper, which perform just as well as those made of conventional PVC.
All sorts of biodegradable or bio-sourced alternatives are available as well for single-use utensils such as cutlery and tableware. Natureko, for example, offers a wide range of FSC-certified throw-away products made of paper or (very fine) wood. No doubt we will see more products of this kind at festivals and events in 2019 in Europe.
Cardboard packaging is of course nothing new, but some companies are taking innovation to new levels.
For example, DS Smith is offering online retailers tailor-made solutions for individual products, to reduce the use of raw material. They also propose cardboard alternatives to plastic or polystyrene packaging items: this solution aims to replace plastic without losing the benefits of single-material packaging.
Cardboard recyclability is outstanding and makes it the ideal material to shift to the circular economy. The circular economy, in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, is currently gaining ground in policy and business circles.
DS Smith keeps coming up with new ways of replacing plastic packaging to acknowledge customers’ wishes for more sustainable materials while being creative. For instance, the company has recently launched a cardboard punnet for cherry tomatoes. This box is completely biodegradable and keeps the product fresh. It is now a great success and supplants conventional plastic containers.
Conference participants asked various questions on the availability of sustainable forest-source and recycled materials.
Participants seemed really interested in the talk: many visited the FSC Belgium booth after the conference to keep discussing around FSC-certified alternatives to single-use plastic. Clearly the subject has attracted wide interest, as FSC Belgium also received invitations to talk on this subject in similar events abroad and in an upcoming forum to be attended by students involved in packaging design.