Circular economy for sustainable packaging

Food Science and TechnologyVolume 35, Issue 4 p. 22-25 FeaturesFree Access Circular economy for sustainable packaging First published: 04 December 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3504_6.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text full-text accessPlease review our Terms Conditions of Use check box below share version article.I have read accept the Wiley Online Library UseShareable LinkUse link a this article with your friends colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Tim Duret Veolia UK discusses drivers increasing sustainability in plastic advances technology that are facilitating collection recycling waste. Achieving is one fundamental issues faced by businesses food sector. Designing products take into account second third life, better supply chain pricing quality secondary recycled materials will all become business critical. Sustainable also has direct carbon impact circular set play critical role helping cut emissions, as it typically saves between 30-80% footprint associated processing virgin materials. For example, each tonne glass recycled, approximately 580kg CO2 saved through chain, air pollution reduced 20% water 50%. organisations wanting improve their sustainability, enhance green credentials, turning problem waste solution very positive move1. Increasing New technology, progressive policy changes awareness over last two decades seen rates rise from around 5% late 1990s, more than 50% today. But fully optimise potential, need an integrated approach involving every part journey, including product design, minimising environmental core activities chains, adopting best practices. Technology transforming sector there no shortage ambition nor willingness invest new infrastructure equipment needed resources be sustainably harnessed on industrial scale. If willing pay rates, co-ordination producers local authorities crucial ensure delivery appropriate services or infrastructure. Making involves stage across order close recyclers, enable understand circularity future-proof design. increase resource productivity domestic capacity reduce impact, collaboration required bring together brand owners, producers, retailers, authorities, management companies, reprocessors consumers, encourage them change. This pave way industry achieve types can easily collected, returned re-use. Veolia's Packaging Academy initiative provides route goal brings consumer experience, collection, end market realities help provide advice overcoming challenges. The drive A number interlocking elements contributing these include measures such Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) 30% Single Plastics Tax. EPR places financial cost managing once they reach life producers. It seeks companies reprocessors. Putting level playing field means costs passed who then make choices choosing packaging. Raising targets few percentage points year until limit what reached outcomes. Other key within framework cover proposed DRS, which focuses capturing bottles cans currently being discarded environment. Known ‘on-the-go’, medium small up littering parks beaches. Their capture offering return deposit expand recovery dispersed 95-98%. plastics tax Sitting alongside Government's Resources Waste Strategy, Treasury first announced plans 2018 April 2022 Plastic Tax introduced aim UK. £200 per levy importers if do not content affect area. gives manufacturers opportunity redesign develop production systems; influence designers procurers choose content. should lead performance clearer labelling, like binary system suggested OPRL (On Pack Recycling Labels), eco-design collaborations reduction emissions. were we would avoid 61% greenhouse gas emissions fossil fuel extraction resin process2, save 30-150m tonnes annually. However less go introduced, study shown 83% asked aware introduction tax. research found biggest acting government mandate (30%) conscience (48%)3. There society something must done use plastics. ‘poster child’ recycling. People engaged how made nowadays - demonstrates 93% people expect enemy, amazing helps keep foods protected allows longer. We incentivise brands retain high suitable rather single-use harmonisation material collections combined recyclability labelling consumers participate promoting recyclable via much simpler system. Targets been out Pact, led WRAP (Waste Action Programme) (Table 1). important maintaining confidence. Furthermore, mandatory collections, without waste, only work flexibility able manage separate streams. Table 1. Pact THE PLASTICS PACT TARGETS Eliminate problematic unnecessary redesign, innovation alternative (reuse) model 100% reusable, compostable. 70% composted average Advances recent innovations improving efficiency management. Equipment solar auto-compacting bins, send notifications crews when full, greater quantity collected efficiently. line separation non-domestic operational target recyclables too contaminated effectively recycled. Electrified mobile plant vehicles, supported charging network, further transform collected. Fitting vehicles on-board weighing digitally record bin weights at premises boost performance; hand-held devices on-the-go reporting digital tracking monitor auto-allocate tasks dependent geographical location capacity. Increased automation captures Tour Southwark facility, top, Europe's most advanced facilities Tackling 24 hour operation plants artificial intelligence track composition, mean streams effectively. example achieved simple change pigment black packaging, making easier automated sorting systems identify separate. Plans install UK's dual PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle tray capable clear rigid closed-loop system, reality. create new, complementary non-food closed loop widen availability trays. initial trials successful, process 35,000tpa mixed misses 40% simply because placed right bins – 240,000 reaching centres year. Targeting disposable drinks containers commonly (bottles under 750ml well aluminium cans), reverse vending machine pilot heart King's Cross was designed easy recycle, salvaged. payback discount restaurant bills. operations now dozens different grades consumer, commercial sources reduces leakage Some pre-consumer items include: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) used film containers, carrier bags Low Density (LDPE) caps, plugs, netting, shrink wrap garment Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) mouldings, lump trays Terephthalate (PET) vegetable oil detergent Polypropylene (PP) refrigerated yogurt tops, carpets, brewery crates wraps Polystyrene (PS) utensils protective Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) manufacture wraps, blister packages, health beauty bottles, UPVC fascia window Polycarbonate (PC) applications CDs DVDs, headlamp lenses, electronic component housing, phones conservatory roofing. Electric 60,000 converted energy saving home insulation recycling, left, covers many sourcesTo next step forward, organ-isations see possible site turn ideas future limited imagination. As advances, thought non-recyclable brought back applications. To scale already indication potential: transformation jars energy-saving insulation, 120m cups major coffee customers, 300m milk bottles. State art about pushing boundaries demonstrated other industries. electrical items, screens, disassembled using versions robots assembly plastics, metals, LCD (liquid crystal display) components valuable manufacturing processes. 98% rate obsolete North Sea structures. Even precious platinum, extracted pharmaceuticals past use-by date liquid solvents recovered transformed fuel, cement. focus damaging effects climate chance build existing performance, moving bystander leadership role. requires commitment responsibility produces, while supporting development redefine perceived, but establish era Critically, sets time imperative prioritise prevention support efficient recovery. Our recyclers happen. deliver huge surge public interest sector, put practice understood inside outside industry. Otherwise, risk losing public's enthusiasm participation. Duret, Director Technology, email [email protected] web veolia.co.uk 12 years experience expert solutions. His extensive wide-ranging plastic, composting, fuels, biomass. He member Technical Advisory Committee Academy. Tim's background includes engineering, agronomy masters Environmental Technologies. offers redesigning considering alternatives References 1https://www.britglass.org.uk/sites/default/files/British%20Glass%20-%20Net%20Zero%20Strategy.pdfGoogle Scholar 2https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/faculty-of-natural-sciences/centre-for-environmental-policy/public/Veolia-Plastic-Whitepaper.pdfGoogle 3https://www.veolia.co.uk/press-releases/are-businesses-ready-plastic-packaging-taxGoogle 4https://wrap.org.uk/taking-action/plastic-packaging/the-uk-plastics-pactGoogle Volume35, Issue4December 2021Pages ReferencesRelatedInformation