Packaging and Sustainability Flashcards
Plastics in Oceans
Large items: Mainly ‘ghost gear’ – fishing nets and lines
Suffocation, entanglement and sharp edges when ingested
Small items: Bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers and containers, caps and lids, cups, plates, utensils, straws, cigarette filters
Mistaken for food so can cause starvation
Microplastics: synthetic fibres (from washing clothing), car tyres, road markings, microbeads from personal care products, partially broken-down waste plastics
Contain chemicals that leach out
PBB: PolyBrominated Biphenyls (flame retardants)
PCB: Polychlorinated biphenyls (banned since 1980
Highly toxic and can accumulate in marine predators
Disrupt reproductive ability and carcinogenic
We eat fish that contain microplastics but do not know the full effects of this
Come from regions of high population density and poor waste management
Primary packaging
What food is in when bought
Used for info and ads
Damage reduction so avoid food waste
Barrier layer keeps oxygen out and keeps protective atmospheres in, prevents water loss and keeps smell - it increases product shelf life so it reduces food wastage, reduces the amount of processing and additives and increases the acceptable length of the supply chain
Tamper evidence: assurance the product is intact
Most of the carbon footprint comes from the production of food. Packaging adds a tiny amount to the carbon footprint.
Cheese Packaging
Selective barrier for molecules, the cheese matures in the package and releases CO2 so the packaging has to let this out, and stop water from getting out and oxygen from getting in.
Hard to recycle due to the thin film but the only alternative to this is PET which has a much thicker film (20x) so the carbon footprint would be greater
Secondary Packaging
Mostly remains within the industrial sector and is less of an issue
UK Plastic Waste
Bottles are easily recycled
Pots, tubs and trays: a wider array of materials but mostly recycled
Plastic film
End of life: recycling, energy recovery, landfill
End of Life
mechanical recycling
Composting
Feedstock or chemical recycling
Other
Energy recovery
Landfill
Recycling
Sort, clean, shred, melt in screw extruder, cut into pellets
Closed-loop recycling is ideal as it means the polymer is used for the same application again
Hard to achieve due to higher costs, changes in design
Most recycling involves downcycling so does ntot save resources in the same way
Optical methods
near-infra-red spectroscopy;
optical recognition including colour;
electrostatics;
X-ray fluorescence;
density methods including flotation; melting point
Individual flake identification using a hyperspectral camera. Flakes on a conveyer belt can be moved to collection points using air jets in a fully automated and very fast process
Difficulty with Recycling
Polymers cannot be refined or purified: everything that goes into the mechanical recycling process is incorporated into the output recycled material
Difficult to analyse polymers to know exactly what is in them Ideal input: single polymer, clean, uncoloured
Single polymer: Many polymers are used in combination (e.g food film packaging) and cannot easily be separated Clean?
Obvious problems: Not mixed with other materials (e.g. metal, paper), Not contaminated by food, or by anything else (e.g. bottle used for bleach)
Less obvious problems: Polymers contain small amounts of many different additives, e.g. to improve processing to stabilise against environment in service: includes UV, fire resistance
Consequence: Applications of recycled polymer are controlled; food-grade particularly demanding, Focus on improving sorting and cleaning, to increase amounts of high-quality polymer waste
Barriers
Oil prices are low and virgin polymer costs are low
Gathering end-of-life polymers are expensive
Sorting and washing is expensive
Quality of virgin vs recycled are not always comparable
Increasing
Plastics Pact targets to 2025 (WRAP):
Eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (reuse) delivery models.
100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled or composted.
30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.
Design for recyclability:
Narrower range of polymers
No mixed polymers (e.g. multilayer films)
Think about joining methods: e.g. easy post-consumer separation?
No coloured plastics
Compatible materials for lids, labels/sleeves; keep labels sma
Advance recycling techniques
Improved sorting
Better tolerance of impurities
Energy recovery (energy from waste)
Polymers are energy-dense oil. Reclaiming this energy to make (typically) electricity saves fuel.
Common in mainland Europe; UK capacity increasing rapidly (quadrupled in last 5 years). Currently the favoured solution for contaminated plastics.
More chemical recycling
break down polymers into monomers or small molecules which can be used for petrochemical production (syngas). Suitable for impure waste streams. BUT plants are costly and process is energy-intensive so currently used for specialist applications in low volumes. energy intensive.
Scepticism about suitability for mass-markets, but active development of technologies. Not currently classified as recycling in EU.
Alternative Packaging
Biodegradable packaging
Cardboard, paper which are naturally permeable to gases and moisture
The carbon footprint of cardboard is quite high
Paper & card have greater impact than plastic
We should also include Secondary factors: Glass containers are heavy and bulky. Transportation is a major consideration. Heavily loaded vehicles consume more fuel, and fewer bottles can be carried per load so more are needed (two or three times as many vehicles)
Case Studies
Metallised plastic film: provides excellent barrier properties (moisture, oxygen, other gases e.g. vacuum, inert atmosphere and smells) and is widely used in food packaging. Walkers partnered with Terracycle to recycle (downcycle) packets
Tetra pack and Dog Food:
Paperboard comprises 70% of the material, providing stability, strength and a smooth printing surface.
Polyethylene protects against outside moisture and enables the paperboard to stick to the aluminium foil.
Aluminium foil protects against oxygen and light to maintain the nutritional value and flavours of the food in the package in ambient temperatures
Learning points: difficult-to-recycle materials
The passage you’ve provided outlines various aspects of packaging materials, particularly focusing on the use of polymer film with an aluminum barrier layer and its implications for packaging sustainability. Here’s a breakdown and some additional insights:
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Long Shelf Life and Minimized Food Wastage:
- The combination of polymer film with an aluminum barrier layer helps extend the shelf life of packaged products. This is crucial for reducing food wastage, as products remain fresh for longer periods, reducing the likelihood of spoilage before consumption.
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Minimum Material and Embodied Energy:
- The use of optimized packaging materials aims to minimize material usage while still providing adequate protection to the product. This not only reduces the environmental impact associated with material extraction and production but also lowers the energy consumed during the packaging manufacturing process.
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High Packing Density and Transport Impact:
- Efficient packaging designs that allow for high packing density help minimize secondary environmental impacts associated with transportation. Maximizing the number of products that can be transported in a single shipment reduces fuel consumption and emissions per unit of product delivered.
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Downcycling and Chemical Recycling:
- While downcycling, such as repurposing aluminum barrier layers for street furniture, offers a way to divert packaging materials from landfills, efforts are being made to explore more advanced recycling techniques like chemical recycling. Chemical recycling can potentially convert packaging materials into high-value products, providing economic incentives for recycling initiatives.
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Small-Scale Processes and Revenue Generation:
- Small-scale recycling processes, particularly those focused on recovering valuable materials like aluminum, can be economically viable. Revenue generated from recycled materials, especially aluminum, plays a critical role in sustaining recycling operations.
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Customer Demand for Eco-Packaging:
- Consumer preferences for eco-friendly packaging are driving companies to emphasize their environmental credentials. This includes highlighting the use of recycled content in packaging and commitments to sustainability. Partnering with recycling development companies like Tetra Pak and Enval can enhance a company’s sustainability image and demonstrate a commitment to circular economy principles.
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Industrial Symbiosis:
- Collaborations between companies in different sectors, such as packaging manufacturers and recycling firms, can create mutually beneficial relationships. Industrial symbiosis involves leveraging each other’s resources and expertise to achieve common sustainability goals, such as promoting recycling and reducing environmental impacts.
Overall, the passage underscores the complex interplay between packaging materials, environmental considerations, consumer demands, and business models in the quest for sustainable packaging solutions.
What to Do
Reduce:
Unnecessary
Eliminate any single-use items
The amount of material
Re-use
Reusing packaging such as coffee cups
Commercial re-use: harder due to standardised articles and facilities for cleaning and redistribution. It would require a huge co-operation between different companies
Recycle: make it easier for people to recycle as there are different regulations everywhere
