Packaging part of solution to food security, waste reduction
While it is essential for the industry to acknowledge and take up the responsibility of reducing the negative impact of packaging on the environment, it is also important not to lose sight of the value of packaging in reducing waste and providing consumers with safe food and beverages.
It is also prudent to recognise the opportunities for growth presented by the quest for a more sustainable future, says Nampak CEO André de Ruyter. “As a member of the packaging industry, we know we have a big responsibility to play and we are involved in a number of initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint,” he says. “But it is necessary to also keep in mind something that is often ignored these days when debating of the impact of packaging on the environment
the positive role packaging plays in avoiding waste.”
It is not that it only provides people who do not have access to cold chains with the ability to buy safe food and beverages, it also that it helps avoid food waste, he points out. According to the United Nations, as much as half of all food grown globally is lost or wasted before and after it reaches consumers. Add the environmental impact of agriculture and food production that goes into producing this waste and the picture is bleaker still. Packaging is part of the solution to optimise food security and reduce waste.
“We should use everything we produce as far as possible,” says De Ruyter. “Packaging doesn’t merely exist to make products look nice on shelf. It is there to provide access to safe food and beverages in a way that would otherwise not be possible. It reduces food waste in landfills and, if handled properly after use, is part of the solution, not the problem.”
It is not, however, only what happens to packaging after it has been used that is important. As part of a larger commitment to review the use of packaging in collaboration with others in the industry, Nampak follows the “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach. The group’s strategy focuses on light-weighting technology, raising recycled content and ensuring that recycling and reuse rates are as high as possible.
“The first thing we do is to look for ways of producing as little as possible,” he says. “This includes redesigning packaging, removing nonessential parts and reducing the quantity of substrate we use be that tin plate, aluminium or plastic to create lightweight products. This cuts our consumption and lowers the volumes that need to be managed after use. Lighter packs mean reduced carbon footprints across the distribution network.”
The next step, he says, is to ensure that when packaging is disposed of, it is done in ways that minimise its impact on the environment. This is expedited by an increased appetite from beverage companies for returnable packs. Coca-Cola is replacing one-way packaging with returnable packaging by way of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle.
“This approach is beneficial because it allows for a deposit system that incentivises consumers to return packaging,” says De Ruyter. “It can be reused nine to 12 times and, when it reaches the end of its life, can still be collected, returned and the raw material recycled, which closes the loop.”
Paper represents another opportunity for innovation and growth for Nampak, with ecofriendly, cost-competitive cartons which are made from 87% renewable sources and have recyclable rates of 66%, being used for liquid packaging, including water.
“One of the fastest growing markets for water in cartons is the school tuckshop,” he says. “The Greta Thunberg effect means young people are more environmentally aware than their parents and express their preferences by what they choose to buy. This generational change is encouraging and emphasises that doing what is right for the environment also provides good business opportunities to innovate and differentiate and reposition ourselves as a producer.”
With large numbers of people involved in the recycling loop, recycling is an important part of the South African economy. Says De Ruyter: “Overall, and perhaps more slowly than activists would like, the packaging industry is changing. What is important is that packaging producers have recognised that going green is not bad for business, but in fact creates opportunities.”