In chasing alignment with the circular economy, it is fitting that the flexible packaging industry is increasingly circling back to the material that started it all – paper.
The history of paper packaging can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who treated mulberry bark fibres to create wrapping and pouches for perishable food. It is a testament to the amazing versatility of paper as a material that even now, over two thousand years later, it still has so much to offer.
Despite this, the confectionery industry has been relatively slow to adopt paper. Many of the recent launches across the industry have been dominated by soft plastics, which can conflict with the global shift towards more recyclable packaging. Plastics can be compatible with the circular economy – front of store recycling schemes are growing in prominence and compostable bioplastic packaging is an increasingly popular cradle to cradle option – but businesses that are concerned with reducing their reliance on plastic may want to seek alternative options. Fortunately for those businesses, the ideal material already exists – and has for a long time.
While their roots go back thousands of years, modern paper based flexible materials are a cutting edge solution to confectionery’s recyclable packaging needs. By combining these materials with today’s innovations, paper could help to create a sweeter future for confectionery.
Rising consumer demand for more recyclable packaging is a well known trend impacting every industry. Retailer goals increasingly restrict the use of certain categories of plastic and prioritise packaging solutions that are simple for consumers to recycle. And a rising tide of regulations is gradually nudging brands towards more recyclable solutions, with measures like the plastic packaging tax, extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR), and the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) placing a host of new obligations on the industry.
Sustainability is particularly important in the confectionery industry, as consumer demand for ethically sourced chocolate and guilt free sweet treats has exploded in recent years. Ensuring ingredients are sustainably sourced to minimise their impact on our planet is central to this, so it is only natural that consumers hold confectionery packaging to the same standards when choosing where to spend their money.
The dilemma facing confectionery brands is that plastic became such a ubiquitous packaging material in the first place for a reason. It is incredibly durable, versatile, and low cost, while offering steadfast protection against moisture, oxygen, and aroma. It is important to remember that packaging’s primary purpose is to prevent waste by protecting and preserving its contents through the supply chain. Plastic is well suited to this job, particularly in temperature sensitive applications like chocolate. However, it is undeniable that the same properties that make plastic so effective as a packaging material mean it often ends up as waste itself.
While not quite the villain it is often made out to be – not all plastics are equally damaging to the environment, and plastic based films and coatings can have a net benefit for a food product’s carbon footprint by reducing food waste in the supply chain – it is clear that the overuse of plastic is a significant problem for the planet. Switching to paper based solutions where possible is one answer – while there is no magic bullet, one size fits all solution for all confectionery applications, paper is as close as it’s possible to get. While soft plastic recycling infrastructure is improving, it still has a long way to go before it reaches the levels of paper recycling, which have made paper materials the most widely recycled in Europe.
Paper is not a natural replacement for plastic – but it can be made into one using innovative technology. Parkside has been at the forefront of material science for many years. It has been heavily involved in developing innovations that can augment and enhance paper packaging, making it a viable sustainable alternative that offers comparable performance to plastic in many applications.
Advances in laminate and coating technologies mean that oxygen and moisture barriers can be made using water based materials, which improve a pack’s functional qualities without affecting its journey through the paper recycling stream. Paper can even be metallised without compromising its recyclability, using techniques like vapour deposition to add a high barrier metallised layer that uses so little material it can still be safely recycled. These are ideal for keeping confectionery products dry and cool, maintaining freshness, and ensuring consumers get the indulgent, high quality experience they expect when purchasing a sweet treat.
Ultimately, though, the overall goal should be to reduce the resources consumed in absolute terms by each pack, even if those materials are recyclable or renewable. This lowers costs both during manufacture and transit and, by minimising the materials used and physical footprint of a pack, businesses can minimise their carbon footprint, too. The first step away from a linear ‘take make’ waste system requires ‘taking’ fewer raw materials in the first place – and, as pEPR fees start to make an impact this year, taking that step sooner rather than later makes sense.
It means paper based flexible packaging solutions – having been first employed thousands of years ago – are once again in the spotlight as the packaging solutions of the future. By treating this ancient material with cutting edge technology, the packaging industry can drive real change in confectionery’s fight against plastic waste.
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