What Reducing Plastics Means To The Canadian Paper Packaging Industry BY RACHEL KAGAN There are so many policy proposals aimed at addressing plastic packaging right now that it can be hard to keep
the marketplace and in the media. On one hand, more businesses and brands are shifting from plastics to oth- er materials, including paper-based packaging. But in re- sponse to some of those moves, PPEC has also seen an increase in misleading commentary about paper packag- ing. As more companies and government organizations around the world commit to reducing plastic packaging in the marketplace, and in landfill, the paper packaging in- dustry has been working to meet demand for renewable, responsibly-certified, and recyclable packaging alterna- tives. These are just a few examples where plastic pack- aging is being replaced by corrugated and paper-based packaging: • Graphic Packaging International’s range of plastic-free paperboard lids • WestRock and Atlantic Packaging’s fibre wrap to re- place plastic shrink films • Cascades closed corrugated cardboard basket for fresh fruits and vegetables • Church & Dwight’s Arm & Hammer Power Sheets Laun- dry Detergent’s paperboard box • PepsiCo Beverages paperboard design to replace plastic rings on multipacks • Unilever’s Pot Noodle new paper-based packaging • Mars Wrigley’s recyclable paper-wrapped chocolate bar CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
track of it all. The Paper and Paper- board Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) has been working to stay updated on government and industry initiatives aimed at reducing plastics – both in Cana- da and globally – and how that im- pacts PPEC members and the pa-
per packaging industry. In addition to the mandatory ban on some single-use plastic items, there has also been consultations on pro- posals for everything from enacting minimum recycled content standards for plastics, to developing new labelling rules and reporting requirements for plastic packaging, to the most recent consultation on specifically reducing plas- tic food packaging at large grocery stores. These are just some of the Canadian initiatives being considered to help the federal government reach its zero plastic waste goal by 2030. The Canadian paper packaging industry has already started to see the impacts these initiatives are having in
16 November 13, 2023
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