Paper Packaging

From next month, the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket will replace the current non-recyclable packaging on block butter with a paper-based alternative wrap which can be recycled at home. 

The change will roll out on its Specially Selected West Country and Yorkshire block butter, helping to remove more than 10 tonnes of non-recyclable packaging from circulation each year.

Aldi also recently replaced the outer plastic wrap for its Everyday Essentials cheese singles with a new paper packaging. This change eliminated a further 23 tonnes of plastic waste annually. 

All of Vegware’s single and double wall hot cups can be recycled as well as composted, where accepted.

Vegware explained that the main obstacle to boosting the recycling rate of paper cups is the ‘widespread misconception’ they cannot be recycled due to their plastic lining. In reality, paper cups are recyclable, but they must be collected separately from other materials to ensure they are properly processed for recycling.

Tokyo, May 23, 2024 — Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) made headlines by cutting CO2 emissions from its packaging materials by approximately 69%, or about 45 tons annually. The company achieved this by switching from plastic to paper for packaging that protected its in-house manufactured photo-media products, including ink ribbons and printing paper.

In partnership with PA Consulting, as part of the Bottle Collective with PA and PulPac, Diageo is trialling a Dry Molded Fiber bottle which is 90% paper, with a thin plastic liner and a foil seal.

The bottle is designed for recycling in standard paper streams and does not require the consumer to separate the plastic liner from the paper bottle when disposing. The 2,000-bottle trial with consumers will be on Baileys, the Original Irish Cream Liqueur, mini format (80ml) at Time Out Festival in Barcelona, Spain, from 25 – 26 May.

Pregis®, a global leader in protective packaging, mailing, bagging, and flexible packaging solutions, has announced significant investments in new production lines at its facilities in Bethel, Pennsylvania, and Reno, Nevada. This expansion aims to boost the production capacity of the Pregis EverTec™ Mailer portfolio, with a particular emphasis on the EverTec Non-Cushioned Mailer. The move highlights Pregis' commitment to addressing the increasing demands of the e-commerce fulfillment and retail sectors.

Smurfit Kappa, a global leader in sustainable packaging, has announced its 2023 financial results, highlighting a strong performance despite a challenging demand environment. The Group reported revenues of €11.3 billion and an EBITDA of €2,080 million, reflecting an EBITDA margin of 18.5%. While overall volumes were down 3.5% for the year, Smurfit Kappa saw a progressive improvement in demand, with a return to growth in the fourth quarter, driven by the rising demand for sustainable packaging solutions.

As the packaging industry shifts towards more sustainable solutions, the demand for easy-to-recycle carrier bags has become a significant challenge for manufacturers. In response to this growing trend, Robatech has unveiled a highly flexible cold glue application system designed to support the production of paper carrier bags, offering manufacturers the tools they need to successfully transition from plastic to paper.

That means all the supermarket’s porridge oat products are now free of plastic packaging, including its Everyday Essentials, Organic and Scottish Porridge Oats.

The latest move on its Everyday Essentials Porridge Oats is expected to save around 57 tonnes of plastic annually.

It forms part of the supermarket’s target to reduce plastic packaging by 50% by 2025 and follows a switch to 100% recyclable cardboard packaging on all own-brand porridge pots last year.