This work has identified 21 specific and urgent actions for flexible packaging that need to be commenced immediately by businesses and policymakers in order to make significant progress towards 2025 targets and beyond.
Move away: Direct elimination
Scope and action direct elimination opportunities
Scope and action direct elimination opportunities
Exhaustively identify and action opportunities for direct elimination (on average estimated at ∼5-10% of flexibles portfolios), taking inspiration from existing case examples
Read in fullQuestion need for flexible packaging in any new products
Question need for flexible packaging in any new products
Embed a critical assessment of the need for flexible packaging in all new product development processes (∼5-10% of those considered are likely to be unnecessary)
Read in fullPrioritise sector-specific opportunities for direct elimination
Prioritise sector-specific opportunities for direct elimination
Align on priority items to eliminate within sectors (e.g. personal care, clothing, fruit and vegetables) to drive up the ambition level across the entire industry.
Read in fullMove away: Innovative elimination and reuse
Set ambitious innovation agenda
Set ambitious innovation agenda
Introduce a high-priority and well-resourced R&D agenda to make upstream innovation the major component of every flexibles strategy — acknowledging that existing efforts are well below where they can and need to be
Read in fullSet up collaborative initiatives
Set up collaborative initiatives
Set-up sector specific collaborative initiatives with specific objectives (such as facilitating roll out of an existing innovation or answering a key questions for a more nascent solution)
Read in fullSupport innovation through policy
Support innovation through policy
Create a supportive policy landscape for innovation (e.g. introduce subsidies, bans, epr)
Read in fullSubstitution: Compostable flexibles
Use compostable packaging where it supports food waste collection or reduces compost contamination
Use compostable packaging where it supports food waste collection or reduces compost contamination
For applications supporting the collection of food waste or addressing existing contamination in composting systems: implement compostable materials
Read in fullIdentify how to avoid contaminating composting and recycling systems
Identify how to avoid contaminating composting and recycling systems
Before pursuing compostables as a broader strategy for flexibles: demonstrate the mechanisms that would need to be in place to prevent contamination of both the composting and recycling systems
Read in fullCreate standards for composting systems
Create standards for composting systems
Define and implement best practices for composting of food waste and align compostable packaging standards with this
Read in fullInvest in collection and composting infrastructure for food and organics
Invest in collection and composting infrastructure for food and organics
Roll out collection and composting infrastructure for food and organics
Read in fullSubstitution: Paper-based flexibles
Establish reduction, virgin reduction and regenerative sourcing strategy for paper
Establish reduction, virgin reduction and regenerative sourcing strategy for paper
For your organisation’s entire paper-based packaging portfolio, put in place a robust reduction, virgin reduction and regenerative sourcing strategy
Read in fullDesign for both recycling and composting
Design for both recycling and composting
Improve paper packaging design so that all paper-based packaging fits into both recycling and composting systems
Read in fullIncrease paper collection and recycling
Increase paper collection and recycling
Increase collection and recycling rates for paper-based flexibles
Read in fullRecycling: Formal sector
Improve design for recycling
Improve design for recycling
Radically improve packaging design, in particular, shift to monomaterials for the >40% of flexibles that are currently multi-material
Read in fullSet specific targets for flexibles
Set specific targets for flexibles
Set separate recycling targets for flexibles (e.g. in europe the 2030 targets need to be revisited)
Read in fullIncrease EPR fees for flexibles
Increase EPR fees for flexibles
Increase EPR fees for flexibles (e.g. in europe, fees of ~eur 1,100 are a good estimate of what may be required)
Read in fullExpand collection of flexibles
Expand collection of flexibles
Expand collection of flexibles for recycling (e.g. in europe >40% of the population do not have access to separate collection for flexibles)
Read in fullInvest in infrastructure
Invest in infrastructure
Invest in infrastructure (e.g. >eur 2 billion in the case of europe)
Read in fullRecycling: Informal sector
Improve design for recycling
Improve design for recycling
Radically improve packaging design, in particular, shift to monomaterials for the >40% of flexibles that are currently multi-material
Read in fullBe inclusive
Be inclusive
Establish an inclusive process, gathering data on existing structures and processes and identifying informal sector organisations to work with
Read in fullInvest in recycling infrastructure, tech and tools
Invest in recycling infrastructure, tech and tools
Finance improvements in infrastructure, tech and tools through large infrastructure investments and microfinancing for the informal sector
Read in fullDrive waste management of ALL materials
Drive waste management of ALL materials
Roll out holistic waste management legislation, including inclusive epr legislation
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