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We look at three groups approaching packaging sustainability from three different angles: adopting modern packaging equipment, recycling flexible plastic, and harmonizing data collection to meet EPR requirements.<\/p>\n
A lot of sensationalistic headlines and articles adopt a defeatist attitude when it comes to efforts to render packaging more sustainable. I don\u2019t buy into the doom and gloom. Thousands of brilliant minds are laser-focused on solutions to packaging waste, and progress is being made.<\/p>\n
A lot of our reporting at Packaging Strategies<\/em> concerns specific sustainable packaging options, and it\u2019s important to get the word out on home-compostable packaging<\/strong><\/a>, reduced-plastic packaging<\/strong><\/a>, and mono-material packaging<\/strong><\/a>, just to cite a few examples.<\/p>\n However, sometimes it\u2019s nice to step back and take a broader bird\u2019s-eye view of sustainable packaging initiatives, and that\u2019s what I plan to do in this column by highlighting a few groups that recently came to my attention.<\/p>\n I only recently became aware of Spain\u2019s Barcelona Packaging Hub (BPH), which aims to give visibility to packaging machinery manufacturers in Barcelona and also \u201cprovide the best solutions for the industry\u2019s needs in the packaging sector.\u201d<\/p>\n BPH recently released an analysis highlighting the main challenges the packaging industry must address in order to move toward a truly sustainable future.<\/p>\n \u201cSustainability goes far beyond material selection. It requires redesigning packaging under ecodesign criteria, ensuring compatibility with real recycling streams, generating reliable and comparable data for decision-making, scaling pilot projects without compromising performance, and assessing the total cost of ownership (TCO) instead of focusing solely on material price,\u201d BPH says, adding that innovation in packaging machinery is \u201ca decisive factor in this transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cModern equipment enables adaptation to new materials, design optimization, and solution validation under real production conditions ensuring functionality, safety, and efficiency,\u201d BPH says.<\/p>\n BPH\u2019s full article on \u201cChallenges for a sustainable packaging industry\u201d can be found here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in early September, the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) launched its FlexCollect report, which includes a blueprint for future collections and recycling of flexible plastic packaging.<\/p>\n The report \u2014 a comprehensive paper spearheaded by EcoSurety<\/strong><\/a> detailing key findings from the UK\u2019s biggest flexible plastic curbside recycling collection project \u2014 has found that commingled flexible plastic collections are achievable if state-of-the-art infrastructure receives appropriate investment.\u202f<\/p>\n IMAGE<\/p>\n With mandatory curbside collections set to be rolled out from 2027, a key objective of the program was to help local authorities, packaging producers, policy makers, and the wider plastics value chain better understand consumer behaviors and be armed to tackle common barriers. As part of the initiative, collection trials were undertaken across nine different waste collection authorities over a three-year period.\u202f<\/p>\n The major takeout from the report was the conclusion that flexible plastic packaging can be effectively and practically incorporated into existing collection systems and infrastructure, with minimal disruption to authorities or operators. Detailed modeling work identified that the provision of a 40-micro collection bag \u2014 filled and placed inside (or next to) an existing recycling container \u2014 would prove a robust and efficient solution to capture flexible plastic packaging without requiring additional crew or amended rounds.\u202f<\/p>\n The 2025 FPF FlexCollect report \u2014 including its blueprint, the executive summary, and the key insights from the three-year project \u2014 is available to download\u202fon the\u00a0FPF website<\/strong><\/a>.\u202f<\/p>\n Last but not least, Specright<\/strong><\/a>, a leader in Specification Management software, recently announced the formation of the\u202fSustainable Packaging Data Council, a new collective with the goal of harmonizing data to impact packaging sustainability.<\/p>\n The newly formed council aims to create templates of data requirements for Reporting Entities\/Brand Owners that will guide the packaging supply chain in meeting expectations and enhancing awareness and quality of information for\u202fExtended Producer Responsibility (EPR)<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Founding members include: leading retailers and brands like\u202fCostco<\/strong><\/a>, Tyson Foods, Central Garden & Pet,\u202fSonoco<\/strong><\/a>, and Atlantic Packaging; industry analysts; and academia programs like\u202fMichigan State University<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n To learn more about the Sustainable Packaging Data Council, click here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Brad Addington<\/strong>Barcelona Packaging Hub<\/h3>\n
Flexible Plastic Fund<\/h3>\n
Sustainable Packaging Data Council<\/h3>\n
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Chief Editor, Packaging Strategies<\/em>
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(248) 227-4727
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addingtonb@bnpmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n