During the first quarter of 2024, Europe has witnessed a notable surge in the prices of flexible packaging materials, due to significant disruptions in supply chain, and particularly on the case of shipping security in Red Sea. According to a recent press release by Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE), these disruptions have led to increased prices…
E-commerce has revolutionized the way we buy our products, offering convenience and accessibility with a few clicks. However, behind this seamless experience, exists a significant environmental cost, particularly when it comes to the return of e-commerce products. A recent report from CleanHub sheds light on the alarming environmental impact of online shopping returns, revealing staggering…
On March 26th, 2024, the European Union, in its effort to empower consumers for a greener transition, implemented Directive (EU) 2024/825, also known as the Empowering Consumers Directive (ECD). This directive aims at fostering sustainable consumption patterns and tackles various misleading commercial practices, like greenwashing, that hinder consumers’ ability to make informed choices regarding the…
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been extensively utilized across various industrial and consumer sectors since the 1950s, due to their useful properties, including low surface energy and durable water- and oil-repellency, and finding application in a number of products, ranging from food packaging to firefighting foams. By taking into account a recent study, published…
Α few weeks ago, European Union took a significant step towards addressing the ongoing challenge of packaging waste with the provisional political agreement reached between the Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives on a proposal for the regulation on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR). The agreement was made in EU’s efforts to reduce the…
In alignment with global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and promote environmental sustainability, Germany has recently joined the countries implementing a plastic tax. Following the footsteps of Spain and UK, Germany introduced its plastic tax through the “Single-Use Plastic Fund Act” of May 11, 2023, (EWKFondsG in German) for short. Having taken effect on January…
In recent years, the issue of plastic waste exports has gained increasing attention, creating the demand for a re-evaluation of policies surrounding the export of plastic waste to non-Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (non-OECD) countries. Plastic recycling charity RECOUP has presented compelling arguments against a sudden ban on such exports, highlighting the need for…
The Packaging Innovations event is vital for a large range of industries, including pharma, beverage, food service, FMCG, food, and beauty and personal care.
A new EU Implementing Decision for the application of Directive (EC) 2019/904, regarding single-use plastic bottles, has been announced. This Decision introduces important notes on plastic bottles which consist of recycled plastic deriving from countries outside of Europe, along with new definitions for the recycling of plastics. EU Commission Implementing Decision for Plastic Bottles…
Despite several studies on PA/PE films, recycling guidelines of various organizations still classify polyamide (PA)-containing packaging as non-recyclable. The independent institute “Cyclos-HTP”, along with “BASF”, have conducted further extensive research into recyclability of multilayer films that contain polyamide 6 (PA6) and ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer, with promising results in a standard polyethylene (PE) stream.…
Many environmental organizations are advocating for the implementation of DRSs (Deposit Return Schemes) in more countries, to help face the growing problem of plastic waste and promote a more sustainable future. The government of Poland has proposed a new regulation that aims to establish such a system for beverage containers. What Is a…
Due to the on-growing demand for recycled plastics, along with the ever-changing legislations for recyclability and increasingly bold commitments of large brand names, the development of chemical recycling is bound to greatly increase in the next few years. However, for that to actually happen, future investments will have to be made across the whole plastics…