Experts from PMMI, the Flexible Packaging Association and more offered insight into the roadblocks and projections for implementing recycled content. | Antoinette Smith/Resource Recycling, Inc.
As companies work toward meeting regulatory requirements for sustainable packaging, they will significantly increase usage of post-consumer resin, compostable materials and certified recycled paperboard, an industry analyst said at Pack Expo International this week in Chicago.
And although plastic remains the dominant material, bio-based and compostable options are expanding, especially in the food, beverage and personal care sectors, said Rebecca Marquez, director of custom research at the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, which produces the annual event and still goes by an earlier acronym, PMMI. The expo runs Nov. 3-6 with an expected 45,000 attendees.
In addition to plastic PCR implementation, PMMI expects steady growth in certified recycled paperboard as consumer brands replace plastic-based packaging with paper alternatives. Most surprising, however, is that usage of compostable materials is expected to grow, despite the lack of infrastructure in the U.S. to support recovery, Marquez said.
In 2022, an industry survey showed that packagers held “downright exuberant projections” for adoption of compostable packaging materials at the five- and 10-year marks, she said. The 2024 projections, which will be examined in a white paper in the next few weeks, were more subdued, but Marquez said packagers still were “enthusiastic” about this materials segment.
In the same survey, 86% of respondents said consumer preferences were the biggest driver of their 10-year outlook for materials usage, compared to 68% in 2022. However, legislation and regulation saw the biggest rise in the survey, jumping by 26 points to 68% of respondents citing it as a significant driver.
Although PET remains dominant for soft drinks and bottled water, PMMI expects a growing trend toward metal beverage cans and glass bottles for premium products, Marquez said. Nevertheless, plastics will remain strong due to their convenience in multi-material flexible pouches.
Flexibles under the spotlight
Despite recycling challenges, flexible pouches have replaced more traditional materials like glass and metal due to their much lighter weight, ease of transportation and convenience, Marquez said. Ironically, the design of flexible packaging also helps reduce packaging waste, contributing to company sustainability goals.
In a separate session, Dan Felton, CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association, said flexible packaging is the second-most common packaging material behind corrugated cardboard. Flexible packaging is not limited to plastics, he noted, but also includes paper and metals.
Echoing the results of the PMMI survey, Felton said the association aspired toward compostable materials. He also emphasized that when consumers focus on the low recyclability of such pouches, they often overlook the benefits, which include significantly reducing food waste by preserving food for much longer periods of time than traditional materials and designs.
Specialty sectors take different approaches
In the personal care and beauty sectors, brands are emphasizing refillable packaging, Marquez said. However, this sector faces unique challenges in balancing implementation of sustainable materials with shelf appeal and product protection.
In the automotive sector, focus is not only on the plastics used in vehicles but also on the packaging for both OEM and replacement parts, Kellen Mahoney, director of the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment, said in another session. In October, the organization released a report on increasing recyclability of auto supply plastics, and it has developed guidelines for sustainable packaging in the sector, including plastics and wood pallets.
Since 2020, the organization has grown from automakers including Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota to tiered suppliers, packaging suppliers such as Orbis and recycling or disposal entities including PureCycle, WM and Nexus Circular.
Looking ahead, Marquez said PMMI does not anticipate any federal packaging extended producer responsibility legislation because the U.S. is too fragmented, so such schemes will likely remain state responsibilities.