In 2022, 400 million tons of plastic were produced worldwide. At this rate of production, it is estimated that by 2050 there will be more than one billion tonnes. This data comes from the report “The Climate Impact of Our Insatiable Plastic Addiction” , published in December by Bloomberg . According to 2022 OECD assessments, these numbers account for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The packaging sector plays a crucial role in these data: most of the solid waste is caused by packaging, with plastic currently being the most used material worldwide. In the USA, for example, it is estimated that the percentage of plastic packaging waste amounts to 30% of the total.
To minimize plastic waste, the industrial sector has long been committed to finding eco-sustainable alternatives by using innovative and ecological packaging with recyclable materials.
As part of the new environmental policies, green packaging is one of the tools the European Union is relying on to achieve the targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
What are the characteristics of green packaging, and which are the solutions for 2023 and beyond?
What is the meaning of green packaging?
According to article 218, paragraph 1 letter h) of Legislative Decree 152/2006 and subsequent amendments, green packaging means “Reducing the quantity and environmental impact of materials and substances used in packaging and packaging waste at the production, marketing, distribution, use and post-consumer stages, in particular by developing environmentally friendly products and technologies.''
Therefore, the idea of green packaging should not only be associated with minimizing the weight and volume of packaging, but also with the ability to reduce its environmental impact. This can be realized through an approach based on the analysis of the solution's life cycle, which is used to package a particular product.
To be identified as " green packaging ", the packaging must meet certain requirements, including:
- be made from recyclable, biodegradable material derived from renewable resources;
- have a design inspired by the principles of the circular economy, which is able to guarantee the product's safety and protection in terms of safety and hygiene standards;
- be easy to dispose, which guarantees a correct waste sorting, reporting clear information on the nature of the disposal material;
- be designed in such a way that a second life cycle is guaranteed after its use, thus favouring the circular model of reuse.
Reducing the raw material of packaging, and thus its dimensions, means lightening it and reducing waste, all goals that can be achieve by using renewable energy resources and innovative sustainable technologies in the production process.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the tool that certifies the sustainability of the packaging and allows companies to evaluate the environmental impact of the product.
Green Packaging must be made in increasingly responsible and sustainable manner, with solutions derived from biodegradable and recyclable raw materials, e.g., paper, cardboard, and recycled polyethylene. These materials must be obtained with extraction and production methods aiming to produce lower environmental impact. In this way, energy consumption is limited in the phases and processes of production and logistics.
However, it is also necessary to take into consideration all the possible repercussions of the packaging on the environment throughout its life cycle. There are two possible paths in the life cycle of green packaging: further recycling at the end of a product's use, and the product's reuse and transformation.
Recently, as part of the European Green Deal for the circular economy, the European Commission presented
a proposal for the revision of the Community legislation on packaging and its resulting waste. The "
Packaging and Packaging Waste regulation" aims to:
- reduce the production of packaging waste by 15% per capita by 2040 compared to 2018, enhancing both reuse and recycling;
- make all packaging recyclable by 2030;
- introduce mandatory binding rates of recycled content in new plastic packaging.
The proposal implies a massive introduction of reusable and reused industrial packaging in a reuse system - at least 20% from 2030 (and 80% from 2040) ,instead of single-use recyclable packaging (many of which will be banned).
The European Commission estimates that if these goals are achieved, the production of packaging waste in 2030 will be reduced by 18 million tons, and in 2040 by 32 million tons. This would result in the production of 3.1 million tonnes less packaging waste than in 2018.
Green packaging solutions for 2023 and beyond
Companies are strongly committed to both the constant search for innovative ecological packaging solutions and to reduce the volume of packaging. First, their goal is to reduce the use of petroleum-derived plastics by replacing plastic with cardboard, paper, or recycled plastics. It could further reduce the volume of packaging, as well as the weight of plastic and paper packaging.
The main materials used for green packaging are: recycled, biodegradable plastic; vegetable plastics; recycled paper and cardboard; wood from sustainable forestry, and corrugated cardboard. They are 99.9% recyclable and customizable. It is also interesting to see that many companies choose to use recycled polyethylene bags.
All these materials allow the creation of highly functional packaging which guarantee a quality product that meets the requirements of green packaging with the minimum consumption of raw materials.
In particular, more and more companies have launched projects to guarantee
green packaging for product transportation through the development of increasingly innovative and ecological packaging solutions for customers, together with their suppliers.
For securing products during transport, for example, SICK has long been using only solid paper and bubble wrap with a recycled plastic content of at least 50%, instead of conventional two-component foam to ensure safety.
Furthermore, SICK replaces the standard plastic packaging with plastic bags in three different sizes, thus reducing secondary packaging. In fact, smaller and more suitable packaging sizes make it possible to reduce the consumption of plastic, as well as the overall volume of the packaging itself.
In this way, SICK has reduced its carbon footprint from the packaging stage to transport and contributes to preserving the environment.
