The United States is facing significant challenges in expanding its compostable packaging infrastructure due to contamination by look-alike single-use plastics. A recent report by Closed Loop Partners (CLP) has highlighted these issues, emphasizing that misidentification of compostable packaging is setting back the industry’s environmental goals. Environmental and Economic Potential The report, “Unleashing the Economic…
In 2023, the production value of food processing and packaging machinery hit a record-high of € 16.5 billion, marking a 5 % increase from the previous year. This notable achievement was highlighted in a press release by the VDMA (Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association), establishing the sector as the fifth-largest in the mechanical engineering…
A significant majority of German and French adults are against using imported waste in recycled plastic products, according to a survey by Stagwell’s The Harris Poll, which was commissioned by Eastman, a global specialty materials company. The survey was conducted online, in February of 2024 and included over 1,000 participants from each country. Key…
Findings of a recent survey conducted by Aura, a packaging consultancy organization in the UK, provide significant insights into the current state of sustainability efforts among packaging professionals and their overall understanding of current packaging regulations. The Survey The survey, which was conducted at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) Impact 2024 conference in New…
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…
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…
The latest figures of PRE’s report reveal that Europe’s plastics recycling capacity reached 12.5 million tonnes in 2022, marking a significant milestone in EU’s commitment to sustainability. However, the recycling growth rate of plastics took a relative dive, dropping year-on-year due to market disruptions and raising concerns about the future of the plastics recycling industry.…
According to a recent report, Plastics Europe has shared some interesting facts about recyclability and circularity of plastics in both European and global scale. More specifically, the production growth of circular plastics worldwide is studied and also the challenges that European plastic producers face, as well as the consequences these might have on the future…
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.…
Plastic materials and circular economy. Research and statistics. For the last three years, circular economy and plastic packaging is one of the most discussed topics all around the globe. Following the lead of a more sustainable planet, European Union (E.U.) has set specific targets for the recyclability of plastic materials, which have to be respected…