Waste no more

Packaging waste, what to do about it and who’s to blame keeps making headlines. Working with several global leaders in the materials and packaging industries, it has kept us increasingly busy the last decades. Sustainability, circular economy, food waste, use of renewable energies in the production, new biobased and compostable materials, are some of the hot topics that are leading the agendas.

Some of the bottle necks and the role of the packaging industry are well highlighted in the recent “Future of Packaging” report, published in The Times. We all talk about the waste issue, everybody’s problem becomes nobody’s problem, the one that no one wants to own, as pointed out by Jim McClelland in his article. Several experts interviewed in the report underline the importance of collaboration of all industry players: Retailers need to use their influence on both consumers to demand and on suppliers to innovate greener choices. Consumers are ready and need better options to choose from, but it is ultimately down to the industry. “It’s about finding that push-and-pull balance between brand-owners and consumers that will be the tipping point for making renewable materials-based packaging the industry standard”, says Gilles van Nieuwenhuyzen, head of Stora Enso’s packaging division in an interview.

Walking the walk, instead of just talking the talk, takes collaboration across the value chain. At Labelexpo Europe, the leading labeling industry event, Avery Dennison took the stage to demonstrate their commitment to contribute and to support industry to tackle the challenges we face. The company has introduced ambitious sustainability goals for 2025 and is bringing more and more sustainable options to the market.  But for Avery Dennison, Labelexpo was not just a platform to talk. For the first time, 60% of the booth was produced using liner waste!

Want to see and hear more  – see interview of Georges Gravanis, President Label and Graphic Materials, Avery Dennison by Labels and Labeling from the show floor.

 

More on these subjects

Events Media Relations Industry Trends