SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING REALITY – THE Fourth R

With so many sustainable options in the marketplace today, how is one to know if the sustainability story will actually play out in reality?

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. The fourth R is REALITY. Which offerings actually go through their suggested sustainable product lifecycle?

You may be surprised by what you’re about to read, as the fourth R may be more important than the first three.

We’ve all heard “Reduce – Reuse – Recycle” or the three Rs related to sustainability. The saying has been around since the 1970s and has steadily gained popularity over the decades. Today, not only are consumers continuing to go green, brands and retailers are also beginning to take it very seriously. Retailers like Walmart and Aldi, along with brands like Coca-Cola, Evian and Mars have committed to converting to reusable or renewable packaging products by 2025.

But what does that mean exactly? How does one define renewable packaging? Is packaging considered reusable if its end-of-life story benefits something other than a recycling stream? It seems there are more questions than answers when it comes to sustainable packaging, especially where plastics are concerned.

THE REALITY OF PLASTIC RECYCLING

Whether you’re a Baby Boomer, Gen X-er, Millennial, or Gen Z-er, most of us try to “do the right thing” by separating our at-home waste into the appropriate bins. We expect this will lead to proper recycling. While this is the case for most paper, aluminum and glass products, it isn’t always the case when it comes to plastics.

Even when separated into the correct bin for what we expect will be recycled, studies have shown that only around 9 percent of all plastics actually flow successfully through the recycling process. In fact, National Geographic published an article in 2017 on plastic waste that stated…

“Of the 8.3 billion metric tons that has been produced [ever], 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only 9 percent has been recycled. The vast majority — 79% — is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter.” 

Other studies have also suggested that 10 to 15 percent of plastics are combusted for energy, leaving around 75% headed for landfills. Regardless of the study source, the facts are clear — despite our best efforts, most plastic packaging is not getting recycled.

PACKAGING INDUSTRY RESPONSE

The packaging industry has received the message loud and clear from brands and retailers: Get ready for 2025!

The flexible packaging industry is responding to these new market demands in an effort to curb what’s happening today. Recyclable, compostable, biodegradable and bio-based films are all being introduced into the market to meet demand for more eco-friendly packaging options.

The labeling industry is also rising to meet the sustainability challenge with post-consumer recycled content liners, recycle-friendly pressure-sensitive adhesives and thin-film liners. The research and development cost and effort to get these products to market comes with a hefty price tag, but the packaging industry is betting that today’s trends will become tomorrow’s reality.