Communication is key

Key figures from the packaging and food industries met in March for the inaugural roundtable meeting of a new Working Group, which was organised by Tri-Star Packaging as part of a bid to tackle misconceptions about packaging sustainability.

Participants discussed ways in which industry could work together to help consumers to understand why packaging is a vital part of the supply chain and, used responsibly, can in fact help to minimise waste.

The roundtable discussion was chaired by Leigh Holloway, Director of Eco3, an environmental consultancy that specialises in packaging design. Speaking during the meeting, he told fellow participants: “We have an important part to play in helping consumers understand the wider picture. There needs to be a move towards the industry working together.”

Among the specific issues discussed was the important role packaging plays in extending the shelf life of fresh and ambient food and beverage products, thereby reducing the amount of food that goes to waste every year. It was also agreed that there was important work to be done in terms of educating the public about the relative sustainability merits of different packaging types.

It was generally agreed that packaging does not get a fair press. Maureen Byrne asked: “How do you communicate the positive side of packaging to the public?”

David Bradford, Group Purchasing Manager at Greggs, said that the industry needs to take a central approach. “The industry is not good at putting its case forward to consumers,” he said. “The media has an extremely important role to play in educating the public, looking at the wider picture and conveying that the packaging industry is actually extremely innovative.”

Participants concurred that there was an unfortunate situation where one or other type of material is put forward as the ‘best’ in terms of its environmental credentials, although Jane Bickerstaffe of INCPEN remarked that ‘brands are putting pressure on the industry to stop it’.

Neil Whittall, Commercial and Contracts Director of Hutamaki UK, commented: “The industry battles each other over materials. This can happen within the trade associations. There is conflict in the packaging industry.”

It was suggested that the positive message on packaging would only be successfully communicated if the industry worked together as a whole, rather than each sector fighting to be accepted as the most ‘sustainable’. However, this is difficult, given the competitive nature within the industry.

There were further lively debates on how branding and packaging interacts; carbon and water footprinting; and the current and future situation regarding recycling.

Regarding the latter, Andrew Osborne Smith, MD of Anson, said: “Infrastructure is the problem, and standardisation is a long way off, if ever.” And Greg Wood from WRAP, commented “Government policy and local authorities are a big part of the problem.”

But Leigh Holloway noted: “There are more and more automated technologies that can separate different types of plastics.”

Commenting after the roundtable event, Tri-Star Managing Director Kevin Curran said there was agreement among all present at the meeting that the packaging and food industries should co-operate to tackle misunderstandings about the impact of packaging on the environment.

He added: “The industry already does a lot that is not communicated, but that’s probably because a lot of what we do is quite difficult to communicate in a way that’s easy for journalists and the public to fully grasp.

“But that doesn’t mean we should give up. In fact, at the roundtable meeting I sensed a fresh resolve for a concerted effort to work as one to help the media and consumers understand that far from being a problem, packaging can actually play an important role in enhancing the sustainability of the food and beverage industry.”

Made up of like-minded industry professionals who gave up their own free time to attend and commit to resolving the issues that were discussed, it was agreed at the meeting that the Working Group would convene again in an effort to take forward some of the ideas discussed.

“Sustainability is central to everything we do at Tri-Star, so I’m personally delighted that the industry is open to some form of sector agreement in the future,” said Kevin. “I’m also very happy that Tri-Star has been able to help facilitate the establishment of this important Working Group, and we look forward to leading its work in future.”