Packaging Study (Cont’d from Page 5) chemicals can then be re-polymerised into virgin-quali- ty resins and used in new plastic packaging,used as fuel or used as the raw materials for other plastic products. Paper-based flexible packaging gains ground : Nestlé has been at the forefront of the development and commercialisation of recyclable paper-based flexi- ble packaging. In 2019, it introduced Nesquik All Natu- ral in five European markets, KitKat in Japan, and YES! bars in Europe, all in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) recyclable paper flexible packaging, alternatives to non-recyclable plastic films. Tubes squeezing their way into the recycling bin : Tubes are typically made from sheets of plastic lam- inates, can include a thin layer of aluminum, and are pressed into a single, nonrecyclable structure. Slated to roll out in 2020, Colgate’s recyclable tube is con- structed of multiple grades of high-density polyeth- ylene (HDPE), a widely recycled plastic. The natural soda deodorant stick from Denmark-based Ben&Anna is a solid bar deodorant that retails in a paperboard tube and carries a ‘no plastic’ logo. The Bottom Line On Plastic Recycling Deal with the issue : Despite the world’s wishes, sin- gle-use plastic will exist for decades to come. Retailers, brands, package manufacturers, and consumers must embrace recycling as a primary means of responsibly dealing with not just single-use plastics,but all types of plastics and all types of packaging. Do your part in finding a solution : Retailers, brands, and package manufacturers must all do more to pro- mote recycling — starting with on-pack messaging and education. Don’t wait : It is imperative to develop and commercial- ize packaging technologies today that are ahead of their ability to be recycled, rather than the other way around. Packaging Reset ‘Sustainable’ packaging will be supplanted by ‘re- sponsible’ packaging - a practical approach brands can promote and defend, and consumers can understand and act on. Next-generation alternatives to fossil fuel-based tech- nologies are not always the more environmentally re- sponsible choice — especially when there are many ‘re- sponsible’packaging solutions available and no one right answer. Brands and packaging manufacturers need to ex- plore all options to find the more responsible choice for the application, occasion, and moment in time. Some sustainability approaches, like blanket plastics bans, can cause unintended consequences that may
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