CHICAGO — The packaging industry is an ever-evolving landscape that responds to internal and external pressures to develop circular and sustainable solutions. During an Industry Speaks session at Pack Expo, the association for packaging and processing technologies’ (PMMI) annual event held Nov. 3-6 in Chicago, Patrick Krieger, VP of sustainability at the Plastics Industry Association, discussed how the value chain should rely on collaboration to get the ball rolling on sustainability initiatives.
The plastic packaging industry is addressing sustainability needs by promoting innovative programs and products that signify the first step in eliminating plastic in the environment.
While plastics have a lower carbon footprint than many of the other materials in various applications, there is an increased demand to make plastics more sustainable.
“Sustainability is cost savings for a lot of people,” Krieger said. “It’s using fewer resources — which is one of the largest expenses — but it’s also ensuring that you are creating a business model that will move into the future.”
According to Krieger, consumer polls are reflecting a surge in interest in earth-friendly products that utilize recyclable or recycled materials. For a company or brand to start this broader initiative, collaboration is key.
“You cannot be a sustainable or circular company unless you are operating within a sustainable and circular supply chain,” Krieger said. “Pragmatically, everybody needs to be involved in this process.”
To define sustainability in a less abstract way, Krieger discussed the three main categories of what it entails: promoting a circular plastics economy, eliminating plastic waste in the environment and using resources responsibly.
“You cannot be a sustainable or circular company unless you are operating within a sustainable and circular supply chain. Pragmatically, everybody needs to be involved in this process.” — Patrick Krieger | VP of sustainability | Plastics Industry Association
The association currently has two active projects to address sustainability needs and to promote visibility within the industry: linear, low-density polyethylene film recycling and residency recycling. The projects amplify the necessity for complete plastic elimination, with the ambition of zero resin loss.
In efforts to unite the industry to elevate recycling access, education, and consumer confidence, the Plastics Industry Association created the Flexible Film Recycling Alliance (FFRA). The FFRA is a value chain consortium promoting and improving the flexible film recycling ecosystem through education, advocacy and end market development.
“It’s all about creating a healthy recycling ecosystem for flexibles,” Krieger said. “And that means we want to make sure that these products are able to be recycled, that they’re collected for recycling, that they are recycled into new products and that people who are making flexibles are using recycled content.”
The Plastics Industry Association is focused on being transparent when it comes to flexible recycling and how it encompasses all materials, collection modalities and methods of recycling. Building transparency from the beginning is crucial to eliminate consumer skepticism surrounding the initiatives, which can, in turn, help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
For CPG companies looking to introduce sustainable initiatives within their processes, the first step would be to define what sustainability means specifically for that company. Companies should address if they are more concerned with carbon footprint, global warming, potential water and energy use or overall recycled content.
“You need to define those yourself first before involving your supply chain partners,” Krieger explained. “Get involved with some of the associations that are doing the work and can help you make those first steps.”
