The Two Sides Paper Packaging Seminar combined key information about EU legislation with a global brand’s search for more sustainable packaging.

As a global not-for-profit organisation that promotes the attractiveness and sustainability of paper, Two Sides understands the benefits of paper-based packaging. As an essential part of its work, the organisation regularly engages with the packaging industry to update members and non-members on its campaigns, as well as provide key information on some of the most important issues the industry currently faces.

As part of this engagement, the recent Two Sides Paper Packaging Seminar delivered a fascinating combination of topics, from the results of the latest Two Sides Trend Tracker report to the changing EU environmental legislation, as well as how global super brand Unilever regards sustainable material choices as crucial to its packaging strategy.

Trend Tracker Survey

First up was Jonathan Tame, Managing Director of the Two Sides campaign. Central to Jonathan’s presentation was the Two Sides Trend Tracker survey. Carried out every two years, the survey is one of the print industry’s largest examinations of consumer preferences and perceptions of print, paper and paper-based packaging.

The key headline for the packaging industry is that the report found that paper-based packaging is the preferred environmental choice for consumers. While this is great news for the industry, the report also revealed that consumers do have concerns about the environmental impact of paper-based packaging. In addition, consumers still don’t understand the industry’s great recycling record.

“The report shows that just 18% of European consumers understand that our recycling rate is higher than 60%,” said Jonathan. “Most of you in the industry know that we have an incredibly good record – 74% for general paper, 83% for paper-based packaging. While figures from previous surveys show that more consumers understand that we’re recycling more paper, it also shows that we’ve got a long way to go.”

EU Green Deal

Following Jonathan, Krassimira Kazashka, Technical Director of The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO), explained the implications of the latest changes in EU environmental legislation for the packaging industry. These changes cover a raft of policies within the new EU Green Deal, from emissions and climate neutrality to the use of chemicals for industrial processes.

“It’s a huge avalanche of initiatives, policies and legislations,” said Krassimira. “It’s the first time in the history of the European Commission that environmental policy has been a flagship initiative for the entire commission over a mandate for five years.”

After going into detail about the various aspects of the EU Green Deal, including labelling, recycling, eco-design and green claims, Krassimira shared the results of a key FEFCO study, ‘Recycling vs Reuse for Packaging’, which found that plastic crates would need to be reused 63 times to be more efficient than corrugated board.

The Unilever Perspective

As R&D Director at Unilever, Mark Newman has a big job on his hands. With over 400 brands in 190 countries used by 3.4bn people a day, he oversees around 5,000 people in the R&D department of the FMCG company. With packaging a key part of Unilever’s business, it’s made a number of sustainability commitments, including making it 100% recyclable and using at least 25% recycled material.

“Our purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace,” said Mark. “To achieve that, our vision is to create winning products as well as being a global leader in sustainable business. We’re combining both the growth of the company through better products while making these products more sustainable.”

Mark went on to explain the challenges of paper-based packaging for Unilever products, which include poor gas barrier, surface roughness and moisture sensitivity, but with new innovations in substrate engineering and advanced barrier technology, there are a number of solutions in development.

“Plastic is a high performing product at a very low cost,” said Mark. “So the key challenge is finding an affordable equivalent. While we don’t have all the answers today, we’re certainly working on it.”

To watch the full Two Sides Paper Packaging Seminar, go to: www.twosides.info/UK/two-sides-packaging-webinar-2023-recording

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