The amount of packaging in society is constantly increasing, creating large, short-lived material flows that need to be circulated. The EU wants 70% of all packaging turned into new products by 2030. When it comes to plastic, 16 percent of packaging used in Sweden today is recycled.
– “It’s obvious that we won’t achieve the 2030 target with the existing packaging system – the entire packaging business model needs to be reconsidered. It’ll take innovation, new technologies, investments and collaboration to get there,” says Ann Lorentzon, a project manager at RISE.
Swedish consumers are generally good at sorting their waste for recycling. However, it is not the amount of collected material that creates circularity, but rather the amount of material that is actually recycled and turned into new products. In this way, we can spare the planet’s resources.
– “Circularity requires that all parts of the circle function – if any part fails, the circle is broken. Many blame today’s low recycling rates on the recycling industry, but everyone needs to help. Packaging must be designed for efficient recycling or reuse, consumers must choose recyclable packaging and help ensure that it’s collected, and incentives need to be offered to create markets for more recycled material,” says Jon Haag, former VP Business & Innovation Area Material Transition.
We need to work together
RISE has, on behalf of Intressentföreningen Packforsk, a Swedish packaging industry association, conducted a feasibility study on the circularity of packaging. Using methods such as workshops, data collection, literature studies and interviews with 23 stakeholders, the feasibility study resulted in two proposals for projects to create the necessary conditions for achieving the EU’s increased targets for recycling packaging.
– “The packaging industry has a long history of working with collection and circularity. There are also many initiatives and agreements for increased packaging circularity. However, recent studies have shown that even all these initiatives are not enough. If we implement everything we’ve already said we want to do globally, more than half of all plastic waste will still remain come 2040. Unless we work together, we won’t succeed,” says Ann.
If the industry doesn’t want to simply fall in line, companies need to show more initiative in shaping development and their future business
Guidelines and testing
The feasibility study proposes two initiatives to achieve a more circular packaging industry – circular packaging design guidelines and packaging circularity testing.
– “Packaging design guidelines are easy to come by. However, what the packaging industry needs help with are tools that can demonstrate the actual cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits of new initiatives. These are guidelines on a whole new level to help packaging companies take concrete steps towards a circular economy,” says Ann.
The second proposal stemming from the feasibility study is for a test bed able to thoroughly test packaging and material circularity.
– “To optimise packaging so that it’s designed correctly, used correctly, sorted correctly and recycled correctly, you need to know a great deal about the functions the packaging is to fulfil. If its function isn’t fulfilled, the product might remain on a store shelf until finally being discarded, in which case the packaging hasn’t fulfilled its purpose and you’re left with unnecessary environment impact, from both the packaging and the product,” says Ann.
State–industry development partnerships
In addition to the EU, the Swedish authorities have implemented a number of initiatives to move towards a more circular economy, such as through taxes.
– “If the industry doesn’t want to simply fall in line, companies need to show more initiative in shaping development and their future business. Development should take place in partnerships between government agencies and industry to achieve both economic and market resource efficiency,” says Ann.
Investments needed on all fronts
With the growth already seen in packaging in recent decades, everything indicates that plastic use will continue to rise despite increasing recycling rates.
– “We need to act on all fronts, to get the circle moving. Our studies have shown that there’s way too little investment in the industry. Investments need to be quadrupled to keep up with the transition and future legal requirements. A sense of security is needed if stakeholders are to dare to invest; supply and demand alike must show long-term promise. This sense of security can come from knowing that you’ll have access to recycled plastic both next year and in five years’ time, if you’re to dare to invest in a new packaging design,” says Ann.
Deposits increase recycling rates
Adding deposits to more packaging products is one way to go.
– “We know that deposits increase recycling rates. We already have deposit systems in place for several types of packaging, such as squash bottles, fruit cartons, bread bags and more. The PantaPå app, which RISE has been partly involved in, simplifies matters for consumers and offers an incentive to recycle plastic,” Ann ends.
