Government Intervention is increasing
The Scottish Government has highlighted the issue of reducing plastic packaging waste in the beverages industry with the planned launch of a deposit return scheme (DRS), which includes plastic bottles starting in 2025. Some 70% of Scots are in favour of the scheme, according to Zero Waste Scotland, which also confirms on its website that the scheme could cut 160,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions each year.
“Further government interventions could be considered if initiatives like this do not meet expected outcomes,” comments Sundar. “While there is clearly a strong preference for eco-friendly packaging from consumers, the challenge for FMCG companies is to ensure they also remain competitive in terms of pricing amid the current cost of living crisis. Schemes like DRS can help, since they increase the amount of packaging being recycled and offer consumers an added incentive to make more eco-friendly choices.”
FMCG companies step up their efforts to reduce plastics
The packaging industry and manufacturers are accelerating their efforts to further reduce plastics in the supply chain. Global food and beverage companies have set a number of goals around virgin plastic packaging reduction and are developing a pipeline of new initiatives to help achieve them.
Kraft Heinz has set new goals to minimise the use of virgin plastic by up to 20% by 2030, having already transitioned to 30% recycled content for most of its bottles sold in the UK, Brazil, and European markets. In partnership with Pulpex, the company is developing a paper-based, recyclable bottle using 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp for its Heinz Tomato Ketchup product. Currently, a prototype of the bottle is being tested to determine its performance before being launched into the market.
PepsiCo estimates that its plastic packaging reduction initiatives could eliminate more than 400,000 metric tons of virgin material by 2030. To achieve this goal, the company is designing packaging to minimize the use of materials, switching to alternative, environmentally friendly materials and working to reinvent packaging to reduce the need for single use plastics through reusable or low/no package models.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is investing in recycling start-up CuRe Technology to support efforts to eliminate virgin plastics in its bottles. The company has developed a ‘polyester rejuvenation’ technology which targets difficult-to-recycle polyester, such as material containing coloured pigments, transforming it into high quality rPET. This has created a new source of rPET with a carbon footprint claimed to be approximately 65% lower than virgin PET.
Meanwhile, Plastipak Packaging and LanzaTech Global are working in partnership to create the world’s first PET resin, PPKNatura, from captured carbon emissions, which has the properties of virgin fossil PET but carries a reduced carbon footprint.
“Industry players and leading FMCG brands continue to advance work on reducing virgin plastic in their supply chains by replacing it with plant-based and recycled plastic content,” adds Sundar. “Although a game-changing solution to eliminate virgin PET altogether remains elusive, the direction of travel is clear and further new technological developments could well provide a safe and commercially viable alternative in the years to come.”
www.globaldata.com
