Plastic packaging revolutionized the world in the 20th century – it is impossible to deny its numerous advantages, which include, for example, low weight, low production costs, or good protective properties that allow, among other things, for the reduction of food waste. However, in this list, it is easy to forget the non-financial costs borne by both humanity and the environment. The current, dysfunctional system allows for the introduction of problematic packaging onto the market for which there is no possibility of responsible management or keeping it in circulation. Does this mean that we will soon drown in plastic waste? The Polish Plastic Pact, with the help of a new tool, convinces Polish companies that an alternative, circular reality is possible.
What is problematic packaging?
The Polish Plastic Pact is a cross-sectoral platform that has been connecting market leaders (including Biedronka, Carrefour, Lidl, Nestlé, Unilever, and PreZero) since 2020 with a common vision of closing the loop for plastic packaging on the Polish market. The first of the Pact’s six strategic goals is the identification and elimination of excessive and problematic packaging. The full list of the Pact’s strategic goals is available here: https://paktplastikowy.pl/odpowiedz/.
Problematic packaging is packaging that meets at least one of the following conditions:
- it is not suitable for reuse or recycling,
- it contains or its production process requires the use of hazardous chemical substances that pose a threat to human health or the environment,
- it hinders or disrupts the reprocessing or composting of other products,
- there is a high probability that it will enter the natural environment, causing pollution.
The definition of problematic packaging was created by the Polish Plastic Pact based on the methodology of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – a leading international think-tank dealing with the circular economy – and is used in many markets around the world. The Pact also developed a list of problematic packaging, which it published in 2021. Report Excessive and problematic packaging, https://paktplastikowy.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PPP-Raport-Opakowania-Nadmierne-i-Problematyczne.pdf
Although at this moment the elimination of problematic packaging is only a voluntary action by companies, observers of European legislation will quickly realize that a revolution in law is approaching rapidly. The European Commission is learning from its own mistakes: the SUP – Single Use Plastics – directive, despite a nearly two-year delay, has still not been transposed into law in Poland and several other Community countries. This is one of the reasons why the planned changes regarding packaging and packaging waste will take the form of a regulation: the provisions, after agreeing on the final shape, will also become part of the legal order in Poland. The currently consulted document will include, among other things, a list of packaging formats whose placing on the market will be prohibited.
6 steps to eliminate problematic packaging
Actions related to the elimination of problematic packaging, for which the natural environment will certainly thank us, do not have to be delayed while waiting for legislation. Companies can already support themselves with the previously mentioned list of problematic packaging published by the Polish Plastic Pact. On it, we will find both packaging whose elimination is relatively simple (which we write about in the further part of the article), as well as packaging whose reduction or replacement requires innovation and the search for new technologies not available today. To help strategically prepare for the elimination of the indicated packaging, the Polish Plastic Pact has made new tools available for business: the model How to implement changes in packaging? and three Problematic Packaging Cards, on packaging containing carbon black-based dye, PVC and PVDC, and polystyrene food packaging.
– Companies’ awareness regarding problematic packaging is very diverse today. For enterprises that are at the beginning of the process of identifying and eliminating them, the Polish Plastic Pact has prepared a 6-step model for implementing changes in packaging. It is a very simple and practical path that companies can take to start changing their packaging for the better – comments Dorota Żmudzińska, an expert in circular economy at the Polish Plastic Pact. – The second tool, “Problematic Packaging Cards”, shows how to approach the elimination of three types of packaging, the elimination of which the Pact recommends to companies by the end of 2023. The three “Cards” that are already available to companies explain in depth why specific packaging is problematic, in what applications they can be found today, and, above all, recommended actions in strategic directions consistent with the waste management hierarchy: elimination and reuse, design for recycling, development and implementation of innovation, and education. The publication was created in partnership with the Łódź Institute of Technology, and subsequent cards will be published in the coming years – adds the expert.
From theory to practice
The change model and Problematic Packaging Cards were created for companies that feel lost in the maze of conflicting recommendations available on the market and need practical support in implementing sustainable packaging solutions. Proof that changes – although not easy – are possible to implement are the good practices of the Pact’s member companies included on each of the cards.
– In the Biedronka chain, we have clearly defined goals regarding packaging, which result from the pillars of sustainable development we have adopted. They are consistent with the goals of the Polish Plastic Pact and the “9 Golden Design Rules” developed by the Pact based on the Consumer Goods Forum’s “Golden Design Rules”. That is why for several years we have been consistently introducing changes to the packaging of our private label products so that they have the least possible negative impact on the environment. We want to eliminate all problematic packaging in the material recycling process. So far, we have already managed to get rid of packaging made of PVC, and we have also eliminated all polystyrene (EPS, XPS) from our chain. We are also actively working on changing our packaging containing dyes with the addition of carbon black so that it can be automatically sorted and subsequently recycled. We also actively cooperate with external organizations, such as the Plastic Pact or Rekopol, as well as manufacturers of packaging and products, to implement solutions consistent with eco-design policy and strive to close the material loop – says Katarzyna Grabarska, Packaging Eco-design and Brand Development Manager at the Biedronka chain.
Ambitious actions related to the elimination of problematic packaging are also being taken by Żabka Polska:
– At Żabka, when introducing new products under private labels to the market, we verify packaging components based on internal documents and by supporting ourselves with the publications of the Polish Plastic Pact, including the “9 Golden Design Rules” and the “Excessive and Problematic Packaging” report. These documents allow for ongoing control of the types of materials used in individual packaging elements and their sizes. In our company, we make every effort to ensure that the packaging we introduce is designed comprehensively and is recyclable while maintaining its functionality. Our goal is to implement packaging in line with the principles appearing in the aforementioned report, which are: elimination, reuse, and recycling, which are consistent with the circular economy – comments Rafał Skawski, Packaging Innovation & Development Manager at Żabka Polska. Asked about examples of Żabka’s actions, Skawski pointed to two of the many examples: – In the burger that belongs to the Żabka Cafe brand, we changed the laminate to PET packaging with the share of recycled raw materials. In the same brand, in the sauce category, we changed black caps to transparent ones, which are friendly to recycling processes.
It is worth noting the fact that the elimination of problematic packaging by companies introducing packaging to the market has a huge impact on waste management entities:
– Taking into account the requirements of the segregation, sorting, and recycling stage, i.e., the last stage of the packaging’s life, allows us to design circular packaging. For this, the knowledge of waste processors regarding technological requirements is needed. The result of the Pact’s actions in this area are the guides and guidelines that we present to you and which – as part of the working group’s work – were also co-created by Rekopol. The first step is minimalism and prevention. That is why we diagnosed excessive and problematic packaging to help manufacturers prevent them from being introduced to the market. Then we have packaging that is difficult to separate or impossible to recycle on a large scale. Adapting to sorting technology forces certain actions, such as the elimination of packaging colored with carbon black-based dyes. Attempting to eliminate or replace problematic packaging limits the mass of non-recyclable waste, which would otherwise end up in landfills or be incinerated, preventing the realization of circular economy assumptions – comments Marta Krawczyk, eco-design expert at Rekopol O.O.O.
The power of partnership
Partnership is an essential element in realizing any ambitious vision. The benefits of cooperation with the entire plastic packaging value chain are being recognized by more companies on the Polish market. In February 2023, two more entities joined the members of the Polish Plastic Pact: Persán Polska – one of the leading manufacturers of cosmetics and household chemicals in Central Europe – and Pepco – the fastest-growing European retail chain.
Companies like Pepco do not grow in a vacuum. We are aware that along with our intensive growth, our impact on the world around us and the environment also grows. We want this impact to be the best possible. That is why we are carefully looking at the materials our products and packaging are made of, working on improving or limiting them. The concept of the Plastic Pact is a benchmark of quality for us and another step towards implementing better solutions. Thanks to this, we will have the chance to share our experiences and learn from others – commented Katarzyna Wilczewska, Head of Corporate Communication at Pepco.
Among other things, the Polish Plastic Pact will also talk about the power of partnership on April 4th, at an online conference titled “UN Plastic Treaty. Global challenges, local solutions”, for which it will be possible to sign up via the website www.paktplastikowy.pl. The event will be devoted to the treaty on plastic pollution being developed by the UN.
Source: Polish Plastic Pact