Supermarket Perimeter - May 2023 - 22

The road
ahead
In March, AMERIPEN (the American Institute for Packaging and the
Environment) and PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing
Technologies) released " PACKAGING COMPASS: Evaluating Trends in
U.S. Packaging Design over the Next Decade and Implications for the Future
of a Circular Packaging System. "
According to the groups, it's a study to help identify key 10-year trends
in packaging design and materials, and the implications of these trends on
legislation and the recovery systems for consumer-packaged goods.
" Interest in advancing a circular packaging economy is shared by stakeholders
across the packaging value chain and policymakers throughout the U.S. are
introducing legislation to improve and grow the package recovery system, "
according to the report. " Industry and stakeholders are engaging on that
legislation. "
This report is intended to help support informed legislation and investment
for packaging recovery by providing industry insights on the future of
packaging so legislation and investment can better align to meet tomorrow's
needs.
" The U.S. is in a unique position, with four states enacting packaging
producer responsibility laws, and more states looking at similar legislation or
complementary policies like recycled content mandates, " said Dan Felton,
AMERIPEN's executive director. " These laws are seen as a vehicle in which
the packaging community can help fund and support the design of recovery
systems to advance circularity. Sharing data on packaging trends and the
rationale for packaging design decisions can help align our recycling and
composting systems with the data needed to understand future material
inflows. Using that data, we can begin to target investments and strategies to
collectively create increased circularity. "
KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT
Today's recovery systems are not well matched
to meet the foreseen shifts in packaging design.
Of the three key materials identified within
design trends, two are materials for which
there are limited options for consumers to
access recovery systems while the use of postconsumer
recycled (PCR) demand is already
demonstrating a gap between demand and
supply. As we look to legislation and investment
for packaging and recovery, alignment and
collaboration with an eye towards future
packaging trends will help target the most
effective legislation and investments for the
U.S. recovery system.
Packaging designers indicate a strong interest
in flexible films with a projected annual
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
4-6 percent. Flexibles are anticipated to be
one of the fastest growing segments within
plastic packaging. Data shows that currently
only 1.9 percent of U.S. households have
curbside access to recycle flexible materials.
Material recovery facilities (MRFs) need
further development to handle the growth of
this material. Investments in collection, sorting
and processing of flexible packaging films are
needed to expand recycling of this growing
packaging format.
Novolex is ramping
up efforts to educate
consumers about
their recyclable and
compostable products,
including adding
industry-wide logos
to its product.
Compostable packaging is projected to see a
significant jump around 2027, with a CAGR of
15-16 percent. Compostable packaging is not yet
accepted by many composting facilities across the
U.S., limiting consumer access to compostable
services collection. The successful recovery of
compostable packaging will require increased
composting infrastructure and investment.
Packaging designers indicate plans to increase
post-consumer recycled (PCR) content within
their packaging over the next decade. There is
already a gap between PCR demand and supply for
packaging, particularly for food contact packaging.
This gap is expected to increase without more
investment and supply into the recycling system.
New technologies and systems to improve both
the quality and volume of PCR content for safe
packaging use must be considered.
22 - MAY 2023
supermarketperimeter.com
Novolex
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - May 2023
