At virtual.drupa 21 earlier this year, Francois Martin, Global Marketing Director of BOBST outlined some of the ways in which sustainability in packaging is achievable, and how we can start making it a reality today.

Yes, packaging production needs to be more sustainable and there is no reason why the solutions already at our disposal can’t be more widely implemented today. Yes, new innovations will continue to develop but we need to act now with what we already can rely on.

Eleven leading brands; Unilever, PepsiCo, Marks and Spencer, Mars, L’Oréal, Walmart, Ecover, Werner and Mertz, Evian, Coca-Cola, and Amcor, have all committed to work towards 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 or earlier, and other brands are following suit, which demonstrates the fact that corporations are serious about sustainability.

BOBST’s vision for the future is built on enabling more cooperation between brand owners, converters, and consumers. These packaging value chain stakeholders do not always deploy the technologies already available and don’t actively communicate to do things differently, despite all having a vested interest in the sustainability of packaging.

We all know that the reduction of waste is an important aspect of securing a better future for our planet. 40 percent of plastic used globally is in the packaging industry (1). In addition, e-commerce continues to grow at double digit rates expanding into new segments such as food with the risk of generating potentially more waste if not managed properly. So, sustainability is more than flexible packaging. It covers the entire packaging spectrum and it requires more collaboration and decision making. Education is a significant part of this; we need better home education for consumers on waste sorting and recycling, as is improved collaboration, not only with the entire packaging spectrum but also with waste management companies, where today, in Europe at least, the most advanced structures are for recycling of PE based structures, and mono material recyclable plastic structures are potentially more than just PE based.

So how do we go about transforming challenges into opportunities? Well, generating less waste is within reach; take BOBST oneECG, Extended Color Gamut (ECG) technology deployed across analogue and digital printing processes in label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries. Extended Color Gamut printing (ECG) is a process to digitalize colour matching, and therefore results in minimal waste of substrates, inks and water as well as reducing energy consumption needed for drying.

Quality control is an essential element of waste reduction. This is eventually the most pragmatic one and a so-called low hanging fruit. Product damages for consumers, poor packaging quality received by the packers, poor package quality received by retailers, and mistakes in packages produced for brands all lead to unnecessary and avoidable waste. BOBST’s oneINSPECTION, an integrated set of BOBST Quality Control solutions, enables  end-to-end quality control solutions, closing the loop from artwork design to the final product reducing production recalls and resulting waste. BOBST ACCUCHECK and BOBST Digital Inspection Tables are amazing solutions available today and delivering significant waste reduction.

Another vital component of the fight for more sustainable packaging production is the use of recyclable substrates. In order to research, test, develop and prepare sustainable alternatives for flexible packaging production we are working together with many high-level industry partners, from producers of film and raw materials, adhesives, lacquers, coating, inks, packing companies, brand owners and retailers.

So, what type of solutions have been created and how can we categorise them? BOBST’s first priority has been to develop solutions in the mono-material polyolefin category. That means finding mono materials, PE based or PP based that on one side have the right barrier performances and on the other that can be recycled.  It is easier to reach the barrier performances with the PP materials, however as the recycling infrastructures are more advanced for PE, this is where we have concentrated initially, our main efforts under the oneBARRIER offering.

BOBST is a member of the European association CEFLEX, which binds 160 companies and organisations in Europe to the same commitment: to collect all flexible packaging and to channel over 80 percent of the recycled materials into valuable new markets and applications (ultimately, to substitute virgin materials). There are other similar associations in America and in Asia and they all have common objectives, fundamentally to bring the finished plastics back into the packaging loop. The central pillar is about materials with a closed life cycle, as this packaging is destined to aided or self-decomposition.

In addition to these short term ready to be deployed solutions, BOBST is also working on alternative fibre-based paper packaging solutions, which again will be ready for recycling and fall into the circular economy loop. The difficulties here are that you are dealing with a porous material, so humidity is an issue, and the fibre surface is also rough which makes barrier performances a very difficult challenge. The shift to fibre-based packaging can be easier when the job of said packaging is to protect the contents, where a particularly high barrier requirement is not necessary. Like plastics, fibre-based packaging also has recyclability targets to meet; according to the market benchmark established, you need to recover more than 80 percent fibres of the package structure to be defined as recyclable.

And there is more – at the same time, BOBST is also working on biopolymer solutions that will decompose and come to an end-of-life cycle. One of the obstacles with these solutions is linked to the cost of such packaging alternatives. There are two main trends in biopolymers – one is the move from industrial compostable to home compostable, and the other is marine degradable packaging.

BOBST solutions, such as oneINSPECTION, oneECG and oneBARRIER, all play a significant part in reducing waste, which consequently boosts productivity and reduces costs. Sustainability also needs to be considered throughout every step of the packaging production value chain, including designing with sustainability in mind. To summarise, packaging production can be more sustainable, and we can’t afford to wait – the people making the decisions will make the difference.

Look out for the upcoming FuturePrint podcast interview with Sara Alexander, Marketing & Communication Manager Flexible Packaging, Bobst.

Find out more at bobst.com

(1) Global Chemical Outlook II – United Nations Environment Program