This in turn reduces overall material use, minimises transit costs through the required additional deliveries, as well as less energy consumption used in manufacture. We found some answers in our global survey. Q: What is the connection between source reduction and reduction in green house gas emissions? The next step following the material being sorted is to shred and then pulp it. less of the material is made), the GHG emissions associated with making the material and managing the post consumer waste are avoided. Environmental Leader is a registered trademark of C-Suite Compass LLC. What lies ahead for sustainability? Fourth, if you ask consumers what they want to see going forward, they are almost equally interested in recyclable and recycled plastic packaging and in fiber-based substitutes. This garbage, the solid waste stream, goes mostly to landfills, where it's compacted and buried. Stanfords recycling efforts last year reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 2447 metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), equivalent to taking 1889 cars off the road per year, conserving 1,009,626 gallons of gasoline or 48 railway cars of coal. Stanford reduced the need for 414 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone by recycling over 288 tons of ferrous scrap metal. Tubs are often made with a mix of plastic types. Recycling System Overview As the waste stream continues to grow, so will the pressures on our landfills, our resources, and our environment. This type of packaging flattens out on the MRFs conveyor belt and ends up being incorrectly sorted and mixed with paper, rendering the whole baleunsellable. 7 million tonnes of cardboard gets sent to landfill sites every year in the UK. One ton of recycled newsprint saves 601 Kwh of energy, 1.7 barrels of oil (71 gallons), 10.2 million BTU's of energy, 60 pounds of air pollutants from being released, 7,000 gallons of water, and 4.6 cubic yards of landfill space. Finally, converters shouldnt address sustainability in isolation, without taking into account COVID-19s ramifications for hygiene and food safety, not to mention other megatrends, such as e-commerce. By reusing aluminum, paper, glass, plastics, and other materials, we can save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts that the extraction and processing of virgin materials has on the . Recycling is important because a great deal of recyclable waste is sent to landfill sites. One of the greatest challenges we face is closing the gap between what is . Firstly this eliminates foreign objects such as tape or glue, before contaminants such as plastics and metal staples are removed (using a centrifuge process plastics float on top, metals sink to the bottom). Forty-three percent of surveyed US consumers cited environmental impact as extremely or very important for packaging, compared with 77 percent for hygiene and food safety, 67 percent for shelf life, and 61 percent for ease of use. Foam polystyrene, like that found in meat packaging or egg cartons, is made of mostly air. 05459368 | VAT No. Saying that, using recycled fibres helps to reduce landfill, ensures that the existing material is used to its full potential, and that virgin fibres can be used in applications where their specific properties are specifically required. Fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) companies and retailers were making big commitments to sustainable packaging, and regulatory bodies were moving decisively on the issue. Recyclable packaging: This is packaging made of materials that can be used again, usually after processing. Plastic tampon applicators are not recyclable; just throw themaway. Usually, they are measured and transported to recycling facilities, which are commonly paper mills. David Feber is a partner in McKinseys Detroit office, where Daniel Nordigrden is an associate partner. Two-thirds (67%) of consumers consider it important that the products they buy are in recyclable packaging, and the same percentage consider themselves environmentally aware the same share as . Why Choose Eco-Friendly Packaging. Throwing a party? Industrial composters find that things like packaging make their output "wetter" and less nutrient dense, and again - harder to sell. Investment in local collection infrastructure pays great dividends in supporting significant downstream recycling economic activity. When a material is source reduced (i.e. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, France is increasing the price of packaging made from unrecycled plastic, This Dutch supermarket now has an aisle with no plastic packaging. It depends on what equipment the local materials recovery facility has. The pulp material is then passed through a wide variety of filters. The trend towards eco-friendly packaging is growing! As for packaging substrates, some 57 to 60 percent of US consumers rank glass, paperboard, and paper as extremely or very sustainable. MRF footage filmed at the Montgomery County Recycling Center in Derwood,Md. Recycling at Stanford Conserves Natural Resources. A special machine is required to remove the air and condense the material into a patty or block for resale. Finally, and owing to the percentage of corrugated that is successfully recycled, the amount of energy required for manufacturing corrugated packaging is vastly reduced. Many industry participants are asking themselves whether consumers will pay for green. The survey results show that consumers demand action across multiple environmental areas. . Bold & colourful consumer packaging, POSand FSDUs, Reduce your fulfilment times and improve efficiency, Wide range of styles to protect in transit and impress customers, Corrugated packaging to protect your products in transit, Designed to maximise protection & minimise shipping costs, Enhance protection and / or presentation of your packaging, Specialist packaging and inserts for shipping bottles, Reels, bins, foam alternatives and other specialist items. A ton of PET plastic containers made with recycled plastic conserves about 7,200 kilowatt hours. Energy drinks are all the rage, and in recent years beverages that invigorate consumers have flooded the marketplace. The cleaned pulp is spread out to dry on a flat conveyor and heated cylindrical surfaces. Before the 1920s, 70% of U.S. cities ran programs to recycle certain materials. GWP Packaging designers can in fact utilise software that can calculate the stresses and loads that your packaging is likely to experience in the supply chain, which then allows selection of the optimum strength of material. recycling symbols to use on your packaging. It makes a huge difference to our environment, our quality of life, and our country's future. Many people believe virgin fibres have an increased environmental impact as they involve deforestation. Recycled fibres refer to pulp that has been obtained from recycled material essentially cardboard packaging or papers that have been used already but have been recovered to be recycled. The world produces about 400 million tons of plastic . Steel. Every year, the average American goes through more than 250 pounds of plastic waste, and much of that comes from packaging. However, in order to provide a balanced argument, it must be highlighted that there are certain scenarios where using recyclable packaging such as corrugated cardboard is actually counterproductive and less sustainable than non-recyclable packaging. Recyclable packaging: This is packaging made of materials that can be used again, usually after processing. Postal Boxes (inc. PIP) Some MRFs are well-funded as part of larger companies. The environmental impact is actually one of the lowest of seven, after appearance and durability (Exhibit 2). Corrugated cardboard is surprisingly versatile and can be engineered to provide surprising amounts of strength and durability in the supply chain. Californias investments in recycling collection infrastructure have brought substantial returns in the form of reciprocal investments and job creation by recycling manufacturers. It is 100% recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable. One ton of recycled aluminum saves 14,000 kilowatt hours (Kwh) of energy, 40 barrels of oil, 130. Take plastic bags back to the grocery store forrecycling. It even extends to advising you on suitablerecycling symbols to use on your packaging. Indeed, across all end-use areas we surveyed, price, quality, and brand rank well ahead of packaging or environmental concerns (Exhibit 1). Clariant, Siegwerk, Borealis, and Beiersdorfpartnered to create packaging that can be recycled and reused more than once, and 100 brands teamed with rePurpose Globalto reduce plastic waste. for food contact) is separated and undergoes a separate specialised recycling process. This project was originally published on Aug. 21, 2019. It is also important to consider theimpact that transit damage can haveon the environment. No article on recyclable packaging would be complete without addressing the most commonly asked questions which you can find (including answers) below. Nevertheless, 55 percent of US survey respondents report that they are extremely or very concerned about the environmental impact of product packaging, so consumers remain very focused on these issues. Over 30% of the raw material used in glass production now comes from recycled glass. Materials like glass and aluminum have high recycling rates and can be recycled endlessly, but many types of plastics are labeled recyclable when they are not. They are often recyclable curbside, but not always. Some communities, however, have drop-off locations for plastic foam recycling, which can be made into crown molding and pictureframes. By recycling over 2303 tons of paper last year, Stanford saved 32,115 trees. It protects products, preserves them, enhances them, displays important information, acts as a marketing tool and allows for safe transportation. Not recyclable, unless a drop-off location exists in yourarea. 2. On this page: U.S. Waste can cause loss of natural habitats and contributes to negative impacts like climate change and global warming, which can also destroy animals' natural habitats. recyclable aluminum tube. So now the whole plastics industrial chain from the oil industry to recyclers is under pressure to figure out what to do withit. Office Paper. Recycling just one ton of aluminum cans conserves more than 152 million Btu, the equivalent of 1,024 gallons of gasoline or 21 barrels of oil consumed. This way, we get all the benefits of metal (over plastic) without any contact between the metal and your natural toothpaste. It will also be important to address other key megatrends, such as e-commerce. When discussing recycling of papers and corrugated cardboard, two terms which are often used are virgin and recycled fibres. You might notice that clamshells, and many other plastic containers, come with a number inside a triangle of arrows. Their fast growing qualities, and recyclable nature, means forests can be managed and harvested sustainably. So what types of packaging can you source that are manufactured from corrugated cardboard? Recycling one ton of office paper can save the energy equivalent of consuming 322 gallons of gasoline. Check locally. One ton of recycled steel saves 642 Kwh of energy, 1.8 barrels of oil, 10.9 million BTU's of energy, and 4 cubic yards of landfill space. So what do we do with itall? We are also not afraid to recommend the use of plastics andfoamfor specific applications where the ability to reuse them will have less of a long term impact than expendable or single trip packaging (even if that is recyclable). California is at about 48%. Visit America Recycles website atwww.americarecyclesday.orgto learn more about this subject. It all comes back to you. To align with evolving consumer behavior, the whole packaging value chain must quickly consider and act on a number of issues. Be sure to remove the plastic film label, which isntrecyclable. In some of them, consumers rank fiber packaging highest; in others, compostable plastic film. The MRF is where items collected from residences, offices and more through public and private recycling programs are taken to be sorted, baled and sold. One is closed loops supply chains, where reusing plastic totes / containers over many trips actually reduces the overall environmental impact. Some are run by municipalities. Above all, they should take a holistic approach to sustainability by acting in multiple areas and make sustainable packaging not only available but also apparent to consumers. A:Reducing the amount of paper you use is not just being cost-effective, it is taking concrete steps to reduce climate change. Sign up for a Tour of the Stanford Recycling Center, Overview of the Stanford Waste Reduction, Recyclng, Composting and Solid Waste Program. The first (and perhaps obvious) stage is collection of the waste corrugated material. 01722 416 440, GWP Group. The material can then either be turned into corrugated cardboard by the paper mill and sold directly to packaging manufacturers, or sold in paper form to other companies who convert the papers into various materials. Cardboard was considered the most environmentally friendly by consumers, with 26% feeling that way. But at GWP, we feel it is important to take a holistic view of what makespackaging sustainable. If nozzle heads on spray cleaners contain metal springs, remove them and discard them in the trash. There is no universal solution, and in any case consumers do not necessarily know what to expect for sustainability in packaging. Just this year, Maine and Maryland passed statewide bans of polystyrene foodcontainers. Producing products using recovered rather than raw materials uses significantly less energy which results in less burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Correx Boxes Recycling guidelines can seem so particular because each facility is run differently. We operate in 190 countries and the infrastructure for recycling plastic varies enormously across them. There will also be the environmental impact of needing to manufacture replacements, as well as the business impact of lost sales and unhappy customers. Before beginning to ascertain whether recyclable packaging (and which type) is suitable for your business, it is important to fully understand what is meant by this, as well as a lot of the other commonly used terms such as biodegradable, eco-friendly, reusable and so on. The truth is, you probably use release liners all the time - in your business and in your day-to-day life. Consumers rank glass as the safest packaging substrate (33 percent). Unit 20, Chelworth Park, Cricklade, Swindon, SN6 6HE, GB, Tel: 01793 754 444 | Fax: 01793 754 445 A report by Research Drive earlier in 2022 estimates the green packaging market is estimated to be valued at nearly $452 billion by 2028. Dividers and Inserts Recycling System Overview Benefits of Recycling Current Challenges Facing the System EPA Tools for Improving Recycling U.S. The results are cleaner air and water, less pollution, more forested land and open space, and reduced greenhouse gases. Sample / Sales Demo Cases Recycling at Stanford Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Sending recyclable waste, such as recyclable plastics and food scraps, to landfill sites, is detrimental to the environment. Easy Disposal You may also find thisarticle on Packaging Waste Regulationsuseful, as it covers government recycling targets alongside details of whether your business has any legal obligations. Only 14% of plastic packaging is recycled globally. On the go? When we ask US consumers about the importance of sustainable packaging when they purchase products for various end-use areas, some 38 percent say it is extremely or very important. Ball says aluminum is essentially a permanent material and that 75% of all aluminum produced is still in use. The National Recycling Coalition reports that the recycling industry in California is both diverse and significant. Back to Top, For full details on how GWP will treat your data, please view our. paper based products). For example, optimising the size of your packaging can result in size and weight savings, minimising the number of trips and therefore fuel for delivery and transit. A bottle with a cap or an opening the same size or smaller than the base of the bottle is probably going to be recyclable. For example, plastic bottles are a highly desirable product for recyclers, but just about a third find their way into a recyclingbin. GreenBlue says that there are more than 2,500 variations of the label in circulation on products ranging from cereal boxes to toilet bowlcleaner. Environmentally friendlypackagingcauses less damage to the environment. This can make it a difficult material for recyclers to sell to companies that would rather have a single type of plastic for theirmanufacturing. Your recycling bin is part of the solution, but many of us are confused about what we should be putting in there. Most others (including plastic, metal, and paper) rank at around 22 to 26 percent. This guide aims to provide a balanced, holistic argument as to whether eco-friendly or biodegradable packaging would make sense for your business / application. ian.cook@gwp.co.uk Many businesses just like yours are beginning to explore the possibilities of switching to fully recyclable packaging solutions. The San Diego County Office of Education has figured out that recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100 watt light bulb for four hours. Once the cardboard has been shredded into fine pieces, it is mixed with water and chemicals that break down the fibres in the paper. Checklocally.). Another important part of good sustainable packaging design is on-pack labelling. When discussing corrugated cardboard, you may hear the terms virgin and recycled. Aluminium Cases This turns it into a sort of slurry type substance. Survey respondents were positive about the reusability of glass but were concerned about its durability. Plus the additional transport to return and redeliver the item. This is because recycled materials have already been refined and processed once; manufacturing the second time is much cleaner and less energy-intensive than the first. This will also mean additional energy and material use in manufacturing a replacement. The state of the economy has a strong impact on consumption and waste generation. Glass is 100% recyclable according to the glass packaging institute and can be recycled endlessly without losing quality. These insights can serve as a starting point for an analysis of which kinds of sustainable packaging fit a given value chain and the range of improvement levers available. The survey looked at aluminum, glass, plastic, and cardboard household packaging. Recyclable materials include glass, metal, card, paper and - increasingly - certain plastics. The paper, glass, metals, plastic, and organic material Stanford recycled in 2016 saved a total of about 70,481 million BTUs of energy; enough energy to power nearly 613 homes for one year. Heres some fun facts from CalRecycle to show you how! Thank you to The Recycling Partnership forguidance. Fifth, the COVID-19 crisis has significantly heightened consumer sensitivity to hygiene and food safety, which are new strong preferences for packaging materials. Although not all consumers have strong specific preferences, a few common themes can guide players in the packaging value chain as they get to grips with consumer priorities: For example, in foodservice, consumers now see large amounts of paper-based containers and flexible paper. Recycling of aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source. While the material is highly recyclable, the EPA says beverage cans are recycled at about a 50% rate in the United States, and other packaging falls to 35%. . New products can be made from your recyclable waste material. Approximately 35 to 36 percent of respondents would buy additional sustainably packaged products if they were more available in stores, available for more products, and better labeled (to indicate green packaging). ian.heskins@gwp.co.uk Email: info@gwp.co.uk, Business hours: 08.00 a.m. to 17.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, Privacy Policy Keep an extra bag or box in your car so that you can collect your beverage containers without having them roll around in your car. This 'take, make, dispose' economic model still largely dominates capital production. A:It conserves energy, reduces air and water pollution, reduces greenhouse gases, and conserves natural resources. There are approximately 18,000 plastic bag drop-off bins at major grocery store chains, including Walmart and Target, around the country. Flight Cases / Custom Built Recycling gets down to one person taking action. Companies transitioning fleets will need to make a plan to effectively charge vehicles, without spiking utility costs or drawing t A recent report by EY has shed light on the sources and attitudes toward sustainability among younger generations. The survey looked at aluminum, glass, plastic, and cardboard household packaging. The reason for that is because recycling trucks and garbage trucks have different protocols. Dozens of cities throughout the U.S. have banned plastic foam. The energy savings applies to all recycling sectors: Aluminum. A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda. By reusing aluminum, paper, glass, plastics, and other materials, we can save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts that the extraction and processing of virgin materials has on the environment. As a result, we will always work alongside you to ascertain the economic as well as environmental impacts that your packaging may have. As our results show, consumers are willing not only to pay more for sustainable packaging but also to buy more products that use it if they are available and clearly labeled. Recyclable packaging refers to materials that can be processed in order for them to be reused. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has further reshaped sustainability sentimentby heightening consumers concerns about hygiene and food safety. Recycling is really just common sense, and until the "modern era," it was a common household activity. Source reduction also includes the reuse of products or materials. A granular understanding of end-user segments will also be critical: there is no universal solution, and consumers do not necessarily know what to expect about sustainability in packaging. Because of concern for the environment, recycling is again on the upswing. Finally, there will always be some products which just arent suited to transit in corrugated. These 25 recycling facts and statistics show the state of plastic, paper, aluminum, glass, electronic and food recycling in 2022. Separated recyclables are compressed into bales and sold to companies that reuse the material for manufacturing other goods such as clothing or furniture or other plasticcontainers. The thin film gets wrapped around the equipment and can bring the operation to astandstill. Moreover, the responses are quite consistent across different end-use segments. Not recyclable. Our survey also assessed what kind of sustainable packaging US consumers expect to see more often. Sitemap Get your free guide highlighting 17 strategies to reduce your long term packaging costs, Recycling Symbols (Explanation & Downloads), GWP Groups environmental policies / practices. Today, the main challenges are the performance of barriers and the price of packaging, so these issues could delay the shift to different or improved materials. .chakra .wef-facbof{display:inline;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-facbof{display:block;}}You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. Focusing on materials can also result in with careful design and testing a pack which performs as well but uses a much lighter grade of corrugated. Sometimes its cheaper for packagers to make things out of raw, virgin plastic than it is to buy recycledplastic. Trash collection and disposal company Waste Management says they work with a manufacturer that takes yogurt, sour cream and butter tubs and turns them into paint cans, forexample. Q: How much energy is saved by recycling? Cardboard Point of Sale (POS) pizza boxes being too greasy). However, it must be noted that to successfully replace non-recyclable materials requires high levels ofpackaging design expertiseand extensive knowledge of thevarious types of corrugated materials available. Handling Trays (vac-form), Anti-Static / Conductive Recyclable. This may mean avoiding or completely eliminating the use of plastics, films, foams and other types of void fill (e.g. Corrugated Coatings Second, more than half of US consumers are nonetheless highly concerned about the environmental impact of packaging in general. As you can see, by recycling you are saving energy in addition to conserving resources and reducing pollution! Not only are natural resources limited, but recycling efforts can significantly reduce additional waste that will not only harm the planet today but for future generations as well. Virgin fibres also need to be added to recycled fibres as they can only be reused 7 8 times before they are too weak (after this the fibres are so small they are effectively washed out of the process). These retailers send the plastic to recyclers, who use the material in products such as compositedecking. Bottle Packaging, Waterproof Cases Clamshells are made from the same type of plastic as beverage bottles, but not every curbside recycler can process them. When we asked US consumers about the most important factors influencing their purchasing behavior, they gave a relatively low rank to the environmental aspects of products and their packaging. This is why there has been a growing focus on recyclable packaging solutions such ascorrugated cardboard. Other packaging factors considered by users included whether it is safe to use and preserves the products. These containers are usually marked with a 5 inside a triangle. Lets take a look at some items you might pick up at the grocerystore. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (Corrugated / POS) Besides this, corrugated cardboard has a recycling rate of around 84% in the UK (and rising). Stanford recycled, composted, and otherwise source reduced 62% of its waste and reduced landfill by 35%. About a third of all kinds of plastic bottles get recycled into newproducts. This pulp is then blended with new or virgin pulp that usually comes from wood chips, as this helps the substance to become firmer and solidify, as well as helping regulate the strength of the new material. Besides this, we understand our responsibilities as anenvironmentally friendly packaging company. The over-use of plastics and non-recyclable or biodegradable in packaging has led to packaging, in general, being painted in a negative light by many consumers. Oskar Lingqvistis a senior partner in the Stockholm office. Consumer attitudes about sustainable packaging have also changed significantly. Investments in recycling collection support a strong and diverse recycling manufacturing industry, which brings jobs and high wages to states and localities. The authors wish to thank Maumouna Diakhaby, Daniel Eriksson, Maximilian Fischer, Anne Grimmelt, and Matt Rogers for their contributions to this article. These foam products have little value because once the air is removed, very little materialremains. Responses from the US consumers who took part in the survey have uncovered five key findings. Terms of Use In fact, it is estimated that there are 25% more trees in the developed World today than there were in 1901. Lightweight Carry Cases, Foam Inserts (for cases) The FREE newsletter covering essential news for environment and energy professionals. A majority also completely or somewhat agree that they would prefer sustainable packaging to be readily available, that they would always choose such packaging if available, and that they would pay more for the materials. As such, the performance of your packaging will always be considered alongside the need to reduce environmental impact. However, the unfortunate truth is that packaging is often viewed as waste. In addition, when paper products are source reduced, trees that would otherwise be harvested are left standing and continue to grow, removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
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