Sustainable Packaging

Author(s):  
Gareth R.T. White ◽  
David Sarpong ◽  
Vera Ndrecaj

The issue of sustainability has attracted considerable attention over the last decade and has been accompanied by the development of stringent packaging material legislation for firms. Drawing on a single case approach, this paper examines the operational challenges faced by manufacturing SMEs as they strive to meet the expectations and requirements of increasingly demanding sustainable packaging regulations. The findings highlight the internal costs and complexities that are faced by manufacturing firms when complying with the regulations. It suggests that some firms may face financial and technical constraints that prevent them from reporting the significant efforts that they are making to improving packaging materials. More significantly it identifies the seemingly insurmountable problems that are faced by SMEs when confronted with powerful upstream or downstream supply chain partners that are resistant to improvement initiatives. This can result in organisations acting in a self-interested manner and consequently, the cumulative environmental impact of the supply chain is greater than it may be if organisations were more environmentally cooperative.

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 551-558
Author(s):  
ANTHONY V. LYONS ◽  
GREGG REED

The desire for more sustainable packaging has led to the development of new packaging materials that are fiber based. Aqueous coatings are a pathway to improve the recyclability of these materials. Pigments used in these coatings can improve the performance of the coating and reduce cost while further improving the recyclability. Mineral pigments are also considered to be compost neutral. In this paper, we provide the reader a better fundamental understanding of the mechanisms by which pigments work in barrier coatings. A pigment’s mineralogy and physical characteristics are important to how it will perform, and there have been recent pigment developments that improve coating performance. This paper shows that some pigments are better than others in particular barrier applications. Also, pigmented base or pre-coats can be used to prepare the surface for more highly functional coatings that go on top, improving the barrier function of packaging material and reducing overall cost. Finally, the converting operation is of major importance in driving formulation choices for barrier applications.


Author(s):  
Ernst Worrell ◽  
Mariësse A. E van Sluisveld

Packaging materials are one of the largest contributors to municipal solid waste generation. In this paper, we evaluate the material impacts of packaging policy in The Netherlands, focusing on the role of material efficiency (or waste prevention). Since 1991, five different policies have been implemented to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. The analysis shows that Dutch packaging policies helped to reduce the total packaging volume until 1999. After 2000, packaging consumption increased more rapidly than the baseline, suggesting that policy measures were not effective. Generally, we see limited attention to material efficiency to reduce packaging material use. For this purpose, we tried to gain more insight in recent activities on material efficiency, by building a database of packaging prevention initiatives. We identified 131 alterations to packaging implemented in the period 2005–2010, of which weight reduction was the predominant approach. More appropriate packaging policy is needed to increase the effectiveness of policies, with special attention to material efficiency.


1997 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1257-1274 ◽  
Author(s):  
K E Hill

Concern about environmental issues and pressure on manufacturing firms to decrease their environmental impact have both intensified since the early 1980s. At present legislation is the most significant source of environmental pressure on firms, but it is the government's intention that voluntary nonlegislative measures will play a much greater role in the future. Pressure through the supply chain is one possible mechanism for achieving this objective, although relatively little is known about its environmental role or importance for manufacturing firms. The author outlines the supply-chain concept, and examines its current significance as a source of environmental pressure. The nature of any supply-chain pressure experienced by a cross section of manufacturing firms in Yorkshire and Humberside, and their actual responses to it, are considered. This investigation reveals that, because of their economic importance, environmental pressure from customers has the potential to be significant. However, in practice such pressure only tends to affect chemical firms and those firms in the consumer-goods sectors which have experienced green consumer pressure directly. Industrial customers, with the exception of a minority of large firms and multinational corporations, generally show little interest in the environmental implications of their sales and purchasing. Environmental legislation is confirmed as by far the most important pressure forcing firms to mitigate their environmental impact. The policy implications of these findings for any move away from reliance on environmental legislation towards voluntary controls are explored.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amarolinda Zanela Klein ◽  
Eliane Gomes da Costa ◽  
Luciana Marques Vieira ◽  
Rafael Teixeira

The use of mobile technologies is important for Supply Chain Management (SCM) because these technologies allow for a ubiquitous flow of information, higher agility and risk reduction in supply chains. In food markets, these issues are particularly relevant due to food safety risks. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the use of mobile technology for management and risk control in the Brazilian beef supply chain, since Brazil is one of the main producers and beef exporters in the world. The research method was a single case study. Results show the actual level of mobile technology use; drivers and barriers to mobile technology adoption and how mobile technology is applied to beef traceability and risk reduction along the chain. The authors propose a framework that links the issues of mobile technology use for SCM and risk control, considering the context of a developing country such as Brazil.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Giraldi-Díaz ◽  
Lorena De Medina-Salas ◽  
Eduardo Castillo-González ◽  
Max De la Cruz-Benavides

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5299
Author(s):  
Giovanni Mattia ◽  
Alessio Di Leo ◽  
Carlo Alberto Pratesi

Sustainable packaging design plays a strategic role across several industries. Using the Italian market as the perimeter of the analysis, this paper aims to broaden the knowledge of corporate attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors toward sustainable packaging along the entire supply chain. A mixed-method approach was used, integrating qualitative and quantitative data collected from 33 in-depth interviews and a survey on a sample of 462 companies. The results revealed that a challenging goal will consist of reconciling technological advances and marketing instances, and that the entire supply chain should be synergistically involved in packaging sustainability. It was also found that larger companies consider sustainability as part of a broader business strategy, whereas smaller ones possess a tactical vision. The study provides valuable insights to better comprehend and manage a complex ecosystem such as that of sustainable packaging.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 2588
Author(s):  
Mansuri M. Tosif ◽  
Agnieszka Najda ◽  
Aarti Bains ◽  
Grażyna Zawiślak ◽  
Grzegorz Maj ◽  
...  

In recent years, scientists have focused on research to replace petroleum-based components plastics, in an eco-friendly and cost-effective manner, with plant-derived biopolymers offering suitable mechanical properties. Moreover, due to high environmental pollution, global warming, and the foreseen shortage of oil supplies, the quest for the formulation of biobased, non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer films is still emerging. Several biopolymers from varied natural resources such as starch, cellulose, gums, agar, milk, cereal, and legume proteins have been used as eco-friendly packaging materials for the substitute of non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic-based packaging materials. Among all biopolymers, starch is an edible carbohydrate complex, composed of a linear polymer, amylose, and amylopectin. They have usually been considered as a favorite choice of material for food packaging applications due to their excellent forming ability, low cost, and environmental compatibility. Although the film prepared from bio-polymer materials improves the shelf life of commodities by protecting them against interior and exterior factors, suitable barrier properties are impossible to attain with single polymeric packaging material. Therefore, the properties of edible films can be modified based on the hydrophobic–hydrophilic qualities of biomolecules. Certain chemical modifications of starch have been performed; however, the chemical residues may impart toxicity in the food commodity. Therefore, in such cases, several plant-derived polymeric combinations could be used as an effective binary blend of the polymer to improve the mechanical and barrier properties of packaging film. Recently, scientists have shown their great interest in underutilized plant-derived mucilage to synthesize biodegradable packaging material with desirable properties. Mucilage has a great potential to produce a stable polymeric network that confines starch granules that delay the release of amylose, improving the mechanical property of films. Therefore, the proposed review article is emphasized on the utilization of a blend of source and plant-derived mucilage for the synthesis of biodegradable packaging film. Herein, the synthesis process, characterization, mechanical properties, functional properties, and application of starch and mucilage-based film are discussed in detail.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document