IDM ¦ Packaging
The environmental
impact of products
Sustainable packaging that goes Way Beyond Good
Brands are under increasing pressure to respond to demand for more environmentally-friendly packaging solutions. Aseptic
beverage cartons can offer the natural solution (Photo: SIG)
Prominent campaigns on plastic waste and climate change have
got more people thinking about the environmental impact of
the products they buy. Packaging can play a big part in influencing
their attitudes.
74% of Europeans say the media focus on packaging ending
up in the sea has influenced them to change their purchasing habits,
according to the 2018 European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Survey
(ECPPS: https://www.procarton.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/
European-Consumer-Packaging-Perceptions-study-October-2018.pdf).
In Spain for example, 81% of consumers say the environmental impact
of a product’s packaging affects their purchasing decisions. Two thirds
have even switched products because of packaging concerns.
Brands are under increasing pressure to respond to demand for more
environmentally-friendly forms of packaging. Ace
Fung, Marketing Manager Sustainability at SIG,
discusses why aseptic beverage cartons can offer
the best solution.
Ace Fung: “Recycling packaging is one of
the most obvious ways consumers can do their
bit for the environment and they expect packaging
to be recyclable. Beverage cartons are recyclable
after use. They also have the added environmental
advantage that they are made mainly
from renewable and sustainable paperboard.”
The ECPPS found that 52% of all Europeans
believe cardboard is the most environmentally
friendly packaging. If the same product was
packaged in two different forms, 81% would choose the cartonboard
pack over the plastic one.
Independent life-cycle assessments confirm this perception, showing
that beverage cartons significantly outperform alternative types of packaging
on key environmental impacts, such as fossil resource consumption
and climate change. This is thanks to their high proportion of renewable
raw materials and their resource-efficient design.
Ace Fung: “Overall, SIG carton packs use between 38% and 77%
fewer fossil fuel resources than alternatives such as glass, HDPE or PET bottles,
pouches and cans – for a range of products including long-life food,
UHT milk and non-carbonated soft drinks. And they have a 28% to 70%
lower life-cycle carbon footprint.”
Combatting climate concerns with
combibloc EcoPlus
Climate change has become a mainstream topic for consumers,
topping the list of environmental concerns cited in a 2019 Ipsos
MORI survey. Beverage cartons are helping the food and beverage
industry meet demand for lower-carbon packaging – and SIG is
innovating to create even lower-carbon solutions.
The combibloc EcoPlus pack for example cuts the carbon footprint
of SIG’s packs by a further 28% – by using an innovative
material composition to eliminate the need for an aluminium foil
barrier layer. It’s the world’s first aluminium-free aseptic carton and
it’s made of 82% renewable paperboard. Ultra-thin polymer layers
act as a barrier to protect the product from flavour loss and external
odours, contain the liquid inside and keep moisture out. Sales
of combibloc EcoPlus have now surpassed the 1 billion mark.
Polymers linked to 100% plant-based
materials with SIGNATURE PACK
SIG built on the pioneering aluminium-free design of combibloc EcoPlus
to create the world’s first aseptic carton pack linked to 100% plant-based
materials. The SIGNATURE PACK 100 solution for the dairy market offers
a 58% lower carbon footprint than a standard SIG pack.
The combibloc EcoPlus pack cuts the carbon
footprint of SIG’s packs by a further 28%
– by using an innovative material composition
to eliminate the need for an aluminium
foil barrier layer. It’s the world’s first aluminium
free aseptic carton and it’s made
of 82% renewable paperboard (Photo: SIG)
30 · November/December 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
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