Avery Dennison | 39Stuart Foster, CEO of industry-wide advocacy body Recoup, “We need to take the debate away noted the urgent requirement to standardize guidance for brands and their supply chain. Already, for example, the UK has started from ‘bad plastics’ and explain that diverging from the EU on food contact regulations.Foster echoed Wigzell’s earlier comments about biodegradable there are still vast opportunities packaging. ‘Recoup supports biomass as an input but not biodegradable packaging.’ Foster referred to a current court case for more functional plastic labels, where Symphony Environmental is challenging the EU’s ban on like the reclosure label on a pack of oxo-degradable technology for single-use plastics. Oxo-degradable accelerates the breakdown of plastics into ever smaller ham which ensures it stays fresh components, but the EU argues that this leaves micro-plastics in the environment.and cuts down on food waste”Foster outlined a partnership with RecyClass, an offshoot of Plastic Recyclers Europe, which chose to pair with Recoup for their UK testing/approvals. The RecyClass coalition has 780 members which takes in the entire packaging supply chain, including processors. OPRL (On Pack Recycling Label) focuses more on the infrastructure set up in the UK to recycle particular pieces of packaging. Where RecyClass focuses more on individual components - label, cap and fexible package - OPRL focuses on the fnished pack.Margaret Bates, managing director of OPRL, explains the mission to deliver ‘simple and consistent’ messaging around what counts as recyclable and refllable packaging. How a wash-of paper adhesive worksTo earn a OPRL certifcation a container or pack must be realistically recyclable. This means, for example, that a container should be collectible by 75 percent of local authorities.‘All compostable or biodegradable packaging will get the Carbon tool “Not Recyclable” badge until there is a guarantee of appropriate James Wigzell previewed the results of a software tool processing facilities,’ says Bates. endorsed by the Carbon Trust which assesses both carbon Multi-layer pack constructions will fnd it increasingly diffcult emissions and water use across the range of Avery Dennison’s to achieve certifcation, while multi-component packaging could label products.require each component to be labeled separately.The report, based on primary data from the company’s ‘This will change the way packaging is designed and will boost own operations, currently captures around 70 percent of UK recycling rates – it will defnitely impact on business,’ says Avery Dennison’s label and packaging materials (LPM) output Recoup’s Foster.globally. The Carbon Trust tools will now be used by Avery To achieve a RecyClass ‘Refllable’ certifcation, packaging will Dennison when advising customers, developing new products be required to be reflled with the original product a minimum of and carrying out greenhouse gas emission audits. 10 times. Refll systems must be available to at least 75 percent of The report will include both ‘cradle to gate’ measurements the UK population who could potentially have purchased the pack; and an extended version taking into account transport and reflling facilities must be available for a minimum of three years end-of-life. and must be certifed as without risk to the consumer.The Carbon Trust tool has already revealed some surprising ‘We need these labels because the majority of consumers conclusions. currently put items into the recycling bin without checking whether • Moving from an acrylic to a rubber-based adhesive they can be recycled,’ says Foster.increased carbon emissions by 4 percent but reduced Extended Producer Responsibility regulations will require that by water use during manufacture by 36 percent– equivalent 2025 recyclability of all packaging must be assessed, with a scale to 4,346 hours in a shower with an average fow.of fees based on recyclability to be paid by any company which • Moving to a thinner grade of semi-gloss white paper (MC places packaging onto the market or imports it. Data collection Light RDX FSC) led to an 11 percent reduction in carbon provisions require companies to break their packaging into material footprint and 12 percent water saving compared to the categories. standard product.The UK nations are already diverging in their collection • Exchanging a virgin paper face material for one with 32 strategies. For example, Scotland is legislating to place a returnable percent recycled content led to a 6 percent increase in 20p deposit on single-use containers from 330ml to 3L, now CO2 emissions and 16 percent increase in water use expected to be in place by October 2025.– demonstrating that it is more sustainable to reduce ‘A problem is that we do not know yet how recyclability will material weight than add recycled content. ‘Repulping be determined,’ says Recoup’s Foster. ‘Many things are not clear, paper to make recycled content uses more water, so you except that it will be a lot more expensive. Producers are either are better going to a thinner virgin paper,’ notes Wigzell. really, really worried about it or do not realize they should be • Moving from a recycled face paper to a virgin PP flm, both worried about it.’on glassine liner, led to a 9 percent reduction in carbon emissions and an astonishing 45 percent reduction in Building a refll networkwater use. ‘We have forgotten why plastics is such an Cerise Cooper, business development representative at start-up amazing material,’ says Wigzell. ‘This demonstrates that Again, explained how the company is building a unique mobile for a lot of applications, plastics are the better solution’. infrastructure for refllable packaging. Jul - Sep 2023