We see risks for ourselves in the debate surrounding plastic packaging, but also opportunities.
Beyond the more emotionally charged arguments, the ultimate issue is the eco-design of packaging:
- Avoid: Eliminate packaging entirely
- Reduce: Thinner packaging, reusable systems
- Recycle: Recyclable packaging
Eco-design revolves around four questions:
- What recycling class does packaging belong to?
- How much does my packaging weigh?
- What is the climate impact, or CO₂ footprint, of my packaging?
- How much recycled material does my packaging contain?
Our approach and products
We are following the discussion closely and are focused on finding solutions.
We believe that our products provide good packaging:
- Our bags and films are made from standard plastic (LDPE or PP) – a raw material that is 100% recyclable.
- This is single-material packaging with a good ecological balance and low material usage.
- We can increase the sustainability of our products by using recycled materials and reducing thicknesses.
Application in the B2B sector
We generate most of our revenue with industrial customers (business-to-business = B2B).
In this sector, our products do not reach the end consumer, and sustainable material recycling cycles exist.
With these customers, there is no debate:
plastic films and bags primarily fulfill a function at the lowest possible cost and with the least possible consumption of resources – and that with a 100% material recycling rate.
Global responsibility
The littering of the oceans is a disaster, but it actually has nothing to do with Europe.
80% of this floating mountain of waste comes from ten rivers in Asia and Africa, which are misused by the population due to a lack of waste disposal infrastructure.
“Waste tourism” from Europe exacerbates the situation on the ground.
Consumers here are rightly sensitized and are demanding new approaches!
“Plastic” and “plastic packaging” have a very bad image.
Even if there may be objectively good arguments for plastic packaging, that no longer matters—a lot is going to change.
Sustainable paths in Europe
In Europe, in addition to
(a) avoiding packaging
(b) reducing packaging
we focus primarily on
(c) recycling
When we talk about recyclability, we are referring to the possibility of material recycling.
PE bags can be used as raw material in PE products, e.g. for films, buckets, hollow bodies, etc.
In this context, a distinction must be made between pre-consumer (industrial waste) and post-consumer recycled material.
Many new approaches are emerging here to increase the proportion of recycled material in products.
Large consumer goods manufacturers are launching projects to dramatically reduce the consumption of new plastics through recycling.
Innovations and new technical solutions will create sustainable material recycling cycles.
This is where the future lies:
“Gray is the new green” – packaging sustainability is the most important criterion.
In addition to material recycling, which we focus on in Europe, thermal recycling is also frequently used.
Even though many say that this is “deceptive packaging, because it's just packaging being burned,” it results in enormous savings, because otherwise extra oil and gas would have to be added to the waste incineration process.
Packaging Act and recyclability
The new Packaging Act categorizes all types of packaging and assesses them in terms of recyclability.
Our bags have a “green” rating on the recycling traffic light system, meaning they are 100% recyclable – and therefore environmentally friendly.
Our bags have nothing to do with multi-layer packaging for food and single-use plastic products such as straws, plastic plates, or fruit bags.
With our bags and films, we protect products, bundle them, and make them ready for sale and transport.
Bioplastics
In the context of the discussion on sustainability, “bioplastics” are an important topic.
They promise to be a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics made from petroleum.
The different types of bioplastics can be described according to two dimensions:
The proportion of renewable raw materials
Biodegradability
There is a lot of uncertainty here, e.g., that degradable plastics are not necessarily “biobased,” or that “biobased” plastics do not necessarily have to be degradable.
Innovations and the future
The pressure for change is enormous, and many technical innovations will emerge.
Chemical recycling could raise recycling rates to a new level by producing new plastics from post-consumer waste.
Research efforts are searching for new plastics – compostable if necessary, but 100% recyclable and, in the best case, bio-based.
Whatever comes:
We will actively implement all new solutions.
More information
👉 Curbing marine litter – Global Plastics Alliance publishes progress report