Packaging survey: Sustainability even more important than price

According to DuPont's survey last month of nearly 500 professionals at consumer packaged goods processors and converters, sustainability is their companies' top concern, even more than concerns about cost. Almost 40% of those surveyed identified sustainability issues as the top challenge facing the packaging industry, according to DuPont's survey, followed by 33% who named cost issues.

Of those respondents working specifically on sustainable packaging, 65% say their efforts are focused on design for recyclability or use of recycled content; 57% are focused on weight reduction; 41% rely on renewable or bio-based materials, and 25% say they are focused on compostable materials.

"Reducing weight is driven in part by regulations, but also cost savings," commented Bernard Rioux, DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers' marketing and development manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "When you can deliver environmental benefits and cost savings in a package that protects and helps sell a product - that's a sustainable solution."

In related news, Europen, the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment, based in Brussels, Belgium, is hosting a workshop on May 25 in Brussels to discuss legislation and policy developments related to the environmental performance of packaging in Asia. "Developments, particularly in China, Japan and Korea are having an impact on the business interests of European companies," stated Julian Carroll, Europen's managing director. Environmental packaging laws are being enacted in East Asia, China, Japan and South Korea which are often more comprehensive than EU rules and cover both ends of the product packaging process with responsibilities for packaging processors/ brand owners and for end-use recycling.

Legislation in Japan and China regulate packaging material selection, head space and, in some cases, design parameters restrict the number of permitted layers of packaging. At the same time end of life regulations are introducing extended producer responsibility for packaging which involves both company and consumers in partnership with municipal authorities.

The workshop is open to Europen members and non-members and information is available on-line at www.europen.be.