China’s ‘National Sword’ policy of January 2018 banned the import of most plastics and other materials headed for that nation’s recycling processors. These had handled nearly half of the world’s recyclable waste for the past quarter-century. In the year since, China’s plastics imports have plummeted by 99 percent, leading to a major global shift in where and how materials tossed in the recycling bin are being processed.

Regulation aligned with NGO stakeholder commitments from the likes of CEFLEX in Europe and others will ultimately mandate the use of recycled materials. We will see a specific focus on PCR (post-consumer recycled) materials to support our circular objectives. Binding targets to tackle overconsumption and waste will most likely be brought into law in the EU. This is a significant breakthrough and impacts 447m people and all other developed economies.

Packaging is only truly useful if it performs its primary duty without compromise, otherwise we are being wasteful before we have begun. With this in mind, our team takes the time to understand the primary objective and expectations of the stakeholders in the value chain with every product. Combining form (circular) with function (use), we can then design for the ecosystem we live in. Considerations for function

By 2025 all plastic packaging will need to be recyclable, reusable or compostable. Regional and national commitments have made this the standard we will all work towards. Agreements like the ANZPAC Plastics Pact in our region are pushing brands and packaging manufacturers towards a circular economy for plastics, where it is never waste or pollution. These agreements focus on four key areas: To eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging through redesign, innovation and alternative (reuse) delivery models.

Let’s consider how multi-layer packaging solutions provide a diverse range of options for packaging designers to build viable and responsible structures. These solutions address increasing demands of product manufactures and retailers without compromising circular economy objectives. Co-extruded multi-layer film is produced using a compound molding technique that simultaneously extrudes thermoplastic resin, through multiple extruders, and passing through a single die to build up layers of melted resin both on the inside and outside of a film. Extremely thin layers of resin cannot be made into a…

New packaging targets have been set for 2025. What does this mean for the industry and what we can do to meet such targets within a few years? The National Packaging Targets for 2025 100% of packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable 70% of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted 50% average recycled content…

Advanced plastics recycling, often referred to as chemical recycling, is one tool of many tools that address plastic waste, but it should be considered only part of a broader strategy — and not a silver bullet — for the next decade at least. We need to do it, but we…

As concern grows about the effects of packaging on the environment, the entire value chain must continue to work to overcome these challenges to deliver a circular economy. Designing packaging for the circular economy plays a pivotal role in this process. We must reduce our reliance upon virgin materials. Clear…

In 2020 we set out to create a 100% recyclable bag from a single source polymer group with a technical barrier to oxygen and moisture for our coffee brand, with the knowledge this will contribute to the ease of recycling and is fully aligned with the European strategy for soft…