Three key factors for packaging sustainability

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Three key factors for packaging sustainability

28 Nov 2023

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

KANSAS CITY, MO — In general, packaging plays a primary role for baked goods: keep the product safe. That’s the case whether it’s freshness, food safety or product integrity. On the outside, though, sustainability is a critical — and multifaceted — factor that baked goods manufacturers must keep top of mind, regardless of how their products go to market.

“Consumers, in general, are very eco-conscious and sustainability-focused these days,” said Brian Techter, senior VP of sales for packaging materials manufacturer RR Donnelly. “Anytime the opportunity presents itself to reduce the amount of plastics or foils used, it will be advantageous to the brand.”

Yet it’s not always a simple proposition, especially with the delicate nature of baked goods and direct-to-consumer channels such as e-commerce on the rise.

When sticking to a few core principles, it’s possible to balance functionality and sustainability.

First, baking manufacturers should consider the amount of materials used. When trying to protect a delicate item, it’s easy to assume that “more is more.” But that’s not always the case.

Techter suggested that it’s important to consider not only the amount and type of materials but also the best combination of materials and how they’re used. For example, think about an artisan bread product with a clear laminate inside a paper bag with a window for the consumer to see the product.

“It’s about being conscious of the materials being used,” Techter said. “Even if they’re not a traditional sustainable material, it’s about using them in such a way that’s in combination with materials that consumers can separate and recycle.”

Additionally, instructions printed on packaging about how to separate and recycle is not only helpful but also goes a long way in establishing loyalty for eco-conscious consumers.

In fact, communication is another key factor to consider with sustainable packaging. Sure, a brand message is important, but using that message as a way to enable consumers to effectively participate in the brand’s sustainability goals puts the message into action.

“When a brand can effectively communicate while also designing the package appropriately, sustainability goals can be met,” Techter said. “It also creates another touchpoint or engagement with the brand, just by opening the package. It’s all about how you engineer and put it all together.”

While these factors are critical for consumer engagement, it’s also important to remember sustainability’s internal effect from an operational perspective.

The circular economy — and the use of compostable, reusable containers and materials — is highlighted in PMMI’s State of the Industry report.

“Many times, when marketing departments consider switching from one material to another, they think about the cost of the material itself,” said Jorge Izquierdo, VP of market development for PMMI. “But they don’t always think about the impact of productivity on the packaging line.”

With the industry in transition for the types of packaging materials being used — whether it’s monolithic, recycled or compostable — there are internal adjustments that must be made. Because modifying packaging materials is a staged process, there are equipment implications that happen at each step.

“Every time a processor switches to a new material, there are adjustments that must be made on the packaging line,” Izquierdo said. “A packaging line is always optimized for the material it’s currently running to ensure that it’s efficient and productive, minimizing downtime.”

When packaging material changes, if the machine is not optimized appropriately, it could run slower or even damage the material.

“If you simply increase the speed, the packaging material could tear,” Izquierdo said. “Or it might not seal properly at the higher speed.”

Oftentimes, current equipment could be retrofitted with technology such as ultrasonic sealing, which tends to have flexibility that will help maintain consistency when sealing a product with sustainable packaging material. Retrofitting also helps with flowwrapping and form/fill/seal (FFS) packaging.

“Sometimes it’s just adjusting some of the auxiliary functions,” Izquierdo said. “For example, the angle used to feed the film, the speed, or the way you unroll the film and feed it into the machine are all very important.”

In other cases, FFS equipment may have to be redesigned to accommodate certain materials.

“When a company is considering switching materials, they look at the cost of the material itself, but not at the impact of the productivity,” Izquierdo added. “In many cases, you can retrofit, but in other cases, you might need a new piece of equipment.”

That becomes a huge consideration when assessing changes to packaging materials. And it’s something that has to be considered over time, especially when brands are less likely to make drastic changes to packaging materials and rely more on a series of small changes over time.

Equipment productivity and line optimization are some of the most important factors to consider when shifting toward more sustainable packaging.

From a sustainability standpoint, the goal isn’t necessarily the endgame, but perhaps it’s the method in which that goal is achieved.

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