Introduction
Sustainable packaging has been one of the talking points over the past decade. Yet, the sustainable packaging industry started slow due to various factors. Fortunately, the development of the industry has made some breakthroughs recently.Sustainable packaging industry: the new era
For the last couple of years, we’ve seen the surging demand for sustainable packaging. Particularly with the presence of a Circular Economy. The sustainable packaging industry has met the new era. As a result, many programs and organizations jump up and spread the idea. Companies pay more attention to the environmental impacts of their businesses. Various brands introduce sustainable packaging to enhance their brand value. In addition, just because a packaging product is designed for recycling purposes, this does not mean it will automatically be recycled. Design for recycling is essential to finding sustainable solutions in the short term. However, there are cultural and educational aspects involved, and governments must ensure that recyclability equals recyclability. End-user education and the availability of recycling systems are both keys. Here, we are going to talk about the sustainable packaging industry today.Why we need sustainable packaging NOW?
Less environmental impact by the sustainable packaging industry
White Pollution has been the pain for sustainability over the decades. And it largely results from the abuse and waste of plastic materials. The massive landfill has well witnessed it. Today, the abandoned plastic waste is still making the landfills. With several billions of tons yearly throughout the world. And the packaging is the consumer of plastics with a huge amount. Also, plastic packaging cast a great impact on climate change. A report by CIEL (the Center for International Environmental Law) has shared the data.By 2050, the cumulation of these greenhouse gas emissions from plastic could reach over 56 gigatons—10–13 percent of the entire remaining carbon budget. For plastic packaging, which represents 40 percent of plastic demand, global emissions from incineration of this particular type of plastic waste totaled 16 million metric tons of CO2e in 2015. (source: https://www.ciel.org/project-update/plastic-climate-the-hidden-costs-of-a-plastic-planet/)Moreover, CIEL said the number does not include 32% of plastic packaging waste. Because the waste remains too difficult to calculate after dispose. However, it is not easy to completely destroy existing plastic packaging. Because it costs even more than starting a new production. And improper ways to dispose of plastics also lead to huge environmental impacts. Given this fact, we need to think about solutions more sustainable. Therefore, it’s more crucial than ever to develop the sustainable packaging industry. And the environmental impact has drawn the attention of governments worldwide. Governments from different regions have published policies to support the sustainable packaging industry.
Government policies support the sustainable packaging industry
Australia, for example,Ministers agreed to the target that 100% of Australian packaging be recyclable, compostable, or reusable by 2025. (source: https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste-resource-recovery/plastics-and-packaging/packaging-covenant)This aims to propel the sustainable packaging industry in Australia. Sustainability has become more urgent than ever in Australia today. Especially under the national spreading recycling crisis currently. And the Australian Packaging Covenant will deliver the 100% target. Who is Australian Packaging Covenant? The organization has been the principal national instrument to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer packaging in Australia since 1999. It has 950 member companies and other stakeholders. As an Australian packaging company, PrimePac has strived to offer sustainable packaging solutions with its best effort. On the other hand, the UK government has introduced new controls on single-use plastic items from April 2020, according to a report by BBC.. Also, the plastic packaging tax will take effect from April 2022 in the country.
Raise brand value by sustainable packaging
More and more consumers tend to buy from companies with sustainable packaging. A study by Unilever revealed that 21% of consumers choose brands with sustainability marks on their packaging.The study asked 20,000 adults from five countries. This represents a potential untapped opportunity of €966 billion out of a €2.5 trillion total market for sustainable goods. (source: https://www.unilever.com/news/Press-releases/2017/report-shows-a-third-of-consumers-prefer-sustainable-brands.html)Also, a result of a global survey released by Tandberg. 53% of global consumers prefer to buy from a company with a strong environmental reputation. Please note that 53% of global consumers represent 1.1 billion people. It is not hard to understand. Companies caring more about the environment bring more customers. And making your packaging sustainable is a way to show customers your care of the environment. Seek help from the Australian company in the sustainable packaging industry.
What makes sustainable packaging?
The definition of sustainable packaging
Sustainable packaging is the development and use of packaging which results in improved sustainability. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_packaging)In other words, it means packaging with zero/less impact on the environment. Typically, recyclable, compostable, and reusable packaging.