FOR STARTERS …
DISCOVER THE LIDDING FILM YOU CAN KEEP RESEALING
Our K Reseal range provides effective, multi-peel, open and reclose lidding films. We’ve now produced a dedicated info-video so you can find out more about the easy peel lidding films that can be resealed time and time again for greater consumer convenience.
The benefits of K Reseal have already been enjoyed by Best Berries, growers and suppliers of fresh strawberries and raspberries. You can read the case study of how the lidding film proved to be the ideal solution by meeting all their requirements.
And did you know?
Switching to top-sealing with film can save up to 10 tonnes of plastic for every 1 million trays sealed, according to Proseal.
LOSE PACKAGING TO AVOID HOME WASTE, SAYS WRAP
Selling fresh uncut fruit and vegetables loose and removing date labels could prevent 14 million shopping baskets worth of food from going to waste, according to new research and recommendations from WRAP.
The project focused on apples, bananas, cucumber, potatoes, and broccoli, and the conclusions are seen as a longer-term goal for UK Plastic Pact members.
KEEP PACKAGING TO AVOID GREATER WASTE, SAYS BPF
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has responded to the WRAP report on reducing household food waste, pointing out that the focus was solely on a small number of fresh food items and their lifespan within the home.
It said many fresh products travel hundreds if not thousands of miles on their journey from farm to fork. So a form of packaging is required to protect and preserve them – and plastic packaging still excels at this due to being lightweight, strong, and providing a moisture barrier (extending a product’s overall lifespan) and other unique benefits.
COATING OF MANY COLOURS
Aiming to reduce plastic packaging and food waste, Asda is launching an innovative new material coating for produce.
It is to stock citrus fruits and avocados coated in material made from the proteins and cellulose found in fruit and vegetable seeds, peels and pulps, mixed with water.
The material from Apeel Sciences is said to act as a barrier, keeping moisture in and oxygen out.
LAYING OFF PLASTIC
Plastic packaging is being removed from Aldi’s range of own-label Easter eggs. The retailer said that it was replacing plastic windows with cellulose film and substituting plastic blister packs for card boxes, helping to make the range fully recyclable.
The move comes after Aldi pledged to halve its total use of plastic packaging by 2025.
GREEN TABLE-TOPPERS
Waitrose and Lidl are the UK's greenest supermarkets in a ranking of their greenhouse gas emissions and efforts to cut plastic and food waste. They topped Which? magazine's first supermarket sustainability table.
PACKING IT IN
Walkers’ Crisp Packet Recycling Scheme will close on April 25. The company said consumers could now use the more than 3500 other flexible plastic collection points located at local supermarkets.
RUBBISH IN RUBBISH OUT
Bin liners are to be made from film plastics collected from customers at Tesco stores as part of a partnership with packaging manufacturer Berry Global. Tesco sees soft plastics collection at supermarkets as a short-term solution while councils roll out kerbside collections.
The supermarket has said more than 1.5 billion pieces of plastic have been removed from its UK business since the launch of its packaging strategy.
SAFE ASSUMPTIONS
The makers of Durex and KitKat have warned that prices are set to rise due to growing production costs.
GLOBAL PLASTICS PACT
Nearly 200 countries have agreed to start negotiations on an international agreement to take action on the "plastic crisis".
UN members are tasked with developing an overarching framework for reducing plastic waste worldwide.
BIO DEADLINE LOOMS
The deadline is looming on the EU’s web-based public consultation on a “Policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics”.
The questionnaire includes two sets of questions. One for citizens and potential purchasers of the plastics. The other is for relevant professionals and experts.
NEW DESIGN RESEARCH
New research into how flexible packaging can be designed for optimal sorting and recycling is to be co-funded by CEFLEX and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
A focus is to be placed on updating the Designing for a Circular Economy (D4ACE) guidelines initially issued in 2020.
It is hoped the results will help further increase levels of collection, sorting, and recycling for flexible packaging and improve the quality and quantity of recycled materials.
Bearing in mind …
- Strong suggestion: The top recommendation is to redesign towards a mono-material wherever possible, according to Liz Morrish of CEFLEX in its article “How to (re)design flexible packaging for circular prosperity”.
- Weak infrastructure: A group of organisations that represent the European flexible packaging value chain – including CEFLEX – last year co-signed a position paper claiming that existing infrastructure was not yet ready to recycle flexible packaging at the capacity expected of EU initiatives, such as a proposed blanket threshold of 95% recyclability.
FUNDING BOOST
Ground-breaking recycling projects are receiving £30m in funding from UKRI. It is part of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) challenge to support the UK Plastics Pact and alter the UK’s relationship with, and management of, plastic packaging.
MORE PLASTIC FOR LESS EMISSIONS
The plastics recycling industry saw significant challenges last year, says Roger Baynham, chairman of the British Plastics Federation Recycling Group. They included raw material shortages, transport issues, and increasing energy costs.
Looking forward, he said we might need more plastic - not less - to reduce carbon emissions, with it being imperative that regulation is led by science and not sentiment.
CHEMICAL RECYCLING RESEARCHED
More than 90 projects for the chemical recycling of plastics were in various stages of development worldwide, and more than 20 plants were in operation at the end of last year, according to a trend study by ecoprog.
The study has examined the technical fundamentals, market factors, development status, plant inventory, projects, and competition in chemical recycling worldwide.
TESTING THE WATER
A novel process for recycling mixed plastic packaging, using “supercritical water”, is to be developed by technology consultancy Stopford.
Stopford has licensed the technology from the University of Birmingham. The novel hydro-thermal process will enable the conversion of non-recyclable end-of-life plastics into high-value chemicals for use as feedstock for the plastics industry.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
- War on plastic: A claim that “The world must unite in a war against plastic” has ignited a discussion on LinkedIn. From “Plastic is one of the best things we have ever invented” to plastics are “an emissions dwarf”, it seems the majority of respondents disagree with the claim.
- Food waste failure: Sometimes less is not best for packaging, says Edward Kosior, CEO and Founder at Nextek. And he argues food waste represents a huge failure, in another interesting debate.
BREAKING DOWN EMISSIONS
To help provide clarity, Our World in Data have produced a breakdown of emissions – total greenhouse gases, plus carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide individually – by sector.
SUSTAINABLE CLAIMS CAPTURE CONSUMERS
A packaged food item that is labelled with a sustainability claim is more likely to be purchased by over half of global consumers, according to a survey by Cargill.
TOP 20 INNOVATIONS
The Top 20 Sustainable Technology Innovations for 2022 have been revealed by The Sociable. They include:
- Biodegradable (and edible) food packaging.
- Mitigating food waste in the supply chain.
- Growing packaging.
STILL CONFUSED BY RECYCLING
A new survey has shown that recycling is still a source of confusion among people in the UK. For example, the survey found that less than half of the respondents adhered to the guidelines for recycling something as simple as a drinks bottle.
Maybe they should read the recently published “The Rubbish Book”, a complete guide to recycling by James Piper.
FROM KM
- Discover K Reseal: Watch our info-video on the film you can keep resealing.
- Meet Charlotte: Our customer service representative will be there for you.
- Work with us: We’re looking for an International Business Development Manager.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
From the KM team … stay safe, keep up the good work, and value plastic.