The future of packaging in Europe

Europe is setting an historic and global precedent to drive sustainability across all sectors, with the packaging sector particularly in the spotlight. We are excited about the recent agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), an ambitious initiative that will undoubtedly reduce waste, and places Europe at the forefront of tackling one of society’s biggest challenges.

The future of food packaging stands at a critical juncture. The PPWR is an important milestone, which prompts EU industry to continue to change how we package food and beverages and transition to a circular economy.

Packaging that ensures food security and our planet
Packaging plays a crucial role in our food systems, specifically in ensuring that nutritious and safe food is available for all European citizens at an affordable price level. Effective packaging preserves food for prolonged periods, reducing the need for refrigeration, preservatives or sugar.

via SIG Group

In Europe, where food waste remains a significant challenge and the pressure of climate change is accelerating, the need for food security continues. And people across Europe, already anxious about the environmental impact of what they use and consume, should not have to worry about their packaging.

We need better packaging that helps protect our planet’s climate and biodiversity, while bringing essential nutrients and food to consumers in a safe and affordable way. Better packaging that provides long-term storage for highly nutritious food, minimizes food waste and delivers a resilient and secure supply chain. And better packaging that is responsibly sourced and produced, easy to collect and recycle, and not polluting our environment after use.

via SIG Group

If well implemented, the EU’s efforts could have a huge impact: imagine a world where packaging is responsibly sourced from renewable materials, while at the same time being designed with circularity in mind. Such materials not only protect biodiversity, but also ensure that the packaging we use today replenishes nature rather than depletes it.

This is the ambition the packaging sector needs to strive toward. At SIG, we already partner with WWF on forest conservation projects, work with Forest Stewardship Council^TM (FSC™ trademark license code: FSC™ C020428) and have committed to work with our supply chain partners to boost sustainable forestry. But industry can go further; the EU’s Nature Restoration Law can now open the doors for nature regeneration and a true circular economy across Europe. We are ready to support policymakers here.

The hidden carbon cost of packaging
The environmental impact of packaging is not limited to visible waste such as plastic bottles polluting our oceans. The carbon footprint associated with production, transportation, and disposal processes is also a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. We should strive to scale low-carbon food and drink packaging solutions and eliminate large amounts of emissions. To do this, we must acknowledge the need to rethink our approach to packaging materials and design.

Food and beverage packaging should be lightweight and space-efficient, following function first. If every food and beverage product came in the lowest carbon packaging available — from production through disposal — the impact on our climate would be considerable, helping us fight back against the looming threat of climate change. We should set our sight on low-carbon food and drink packaging solutions, so that we can move toward a more sustainable future.

We want to ensure that food packaging is entirely sourced from renewable materials, helps replenish biodiversity, and is recycled into new material. We set out five commitments to achieve this, together with our employees, suppliers, and customers.

via SIG Group

Our focus moving forward is to:

1. Help increase European forests’ climate resilience and capacity for storing carbon.
2. Eliminate the use of virgin fossil-based materials and maximize the focus on the use of renewables in food packaging.
3. Minimize food loss and waste in our supply chains in Europe.
4. Remove more carbon from the atmosphere than is emitted during a carton’s life cycle.
5. Help ensure beverage cartons are collected and recycled in an easy and simple way in the EU.

These ambitions will require a willingness to collaborate, across the value chain and across the boundaries of the public and private sector. EU initiatives, including the PPWR, will act as a useful guide on this journey, helping us measure progress and address persistent challenges. Further policy discussions need to continue to overcome these challenges, while supporting a strong internal market that allows European industry to flourish. Together, we can transform the future of food packaging, making it truly regenerative and sustainable for generations to come.

Join us on the journey towards a more sustainable future for food packaging in Europe.