“Green” packaging hits the nerve of the times. Consumers attach great importance to sustainable packaging. Organic products in particular are considered to be of higher quality if they are also packaged sustainably. However, factors such as price and convenience play an equally important role. According to surveys, around 40 % of consumers are not prepared to accept higher prices. They also do not want to compromise on handling, i.e. tear resistance, stability, leakage protection, easy opening and closing.

“Going Green” as a brand message

Co2 footprint, eco-balance, climate-neutral or biodegradable – few consumers really know what to make of these terms. As far as the environmental friendliness of packaging is concerned, there is still a great deal of ignorance. A lot of education is needed here in the future. A lot of pioneering work is also needed in terms of easily understandable and clearly defined eco-labels. In addition, the topic of sustainability and environmentally friendly packaging must be communicated holistically as part of the brand message. Going green” is still piecemeal in many areas, but retailers and some brand owners have already put a lot into practice.

Pioneer for sustainable packaging solutions

Supermarkets such as Edeka, Rewe, Penny, Aldi and Lidl completely banned plastic bags from their shops in 2016. However, they have not yet been completely replaced in the fruit and vegetable sector. Since 2019, Rewe has even been stocking some Today brand products with packaging made from 100 % recycled material with a 20 % share coming from yellow bags. The retail brand Frosta, which has already successfully established itself on the market thanks to its purity requirement, advertises with the slogan “We say goodbye. To the plastic bag.” The company wants to successively offer its frozen products exclusively in paper bags by 2020. This involves a new innovative paper compound that creates an effective barrier against fat and moisture.

The French company L’Oréal, on the other hand, is pursuing the consistent goal of launching the first paper-based cosmetic tube on the market in 2021. Cardboard manufacturers are also increasingly working on sustainable alternatives. Mayr-Melnhof – Europe’s leading cartonboard producer – is consistently working on solutions such as water-resistant types of cartonboard and improved fat barriers. In the future, foodstuffs such as rice, pasta and cereals will increasingly be packed in cardboard instead of plastic.
ALB-GOLD’s pasta is already packaged in an environmentally friendly way in paper. In 2019, ALB-GOLD won the German Packaging Award in the sustainability category. Mc Donald’s has also declared war on plastic. Whether McFlurry or salad – every type of disposable plastic has been replaced by biodegradable material.

Sustainability as a duty & opportunity

The fact is: manufacturers must successively package their products more sustainably – there are no alternatives. Green strategies hold great opportunities, but also enormous challenges. Technically, many things cannot be implemented ad hoc and consumers react extremely sensitively to price increases. In any case, it will be exciting to see what ecological achievements we can expect in the packaging industry in the coming years.

As an innovative packaging service provider, we not only offer sustainable packaging solutions on demand, but have also recognised our duty early on and protect the environment by harmoniously combining ecologically compatible business with sustainable production. Whether photovoltaics, green electricity, climate-neutral packaging, climate-neutral production machines, CO2 footprint, cooling with river water, biomass heating plant or a well thought-out waste management – we see our ecological responsibility as a duty, an opportunity and a constant challenge in equal measure.

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