Sustainable packaging: let's sort it out!

 

Introduction

Five million tons of household packaging comes from the USA consumption each year (source: ADEME). While 70% of household packaging is currently recyclable, this recycling depends above all on the materials used: while 100% of steel packaging in macaron boxes, 85% of glass packaging, and 70% of paper-cardboard packaging are recyclable, this is not the case is the case for 29% of plastic packaging (source: CITEO ).

To move in the direction of sustainable development, to meet the expectations of consumers who are increasingly concerned about the environment, and be in step with regulatory changes, professionals in the agri-food and packaging sector have developed various packaging solutions. More sustainable biodegradable, bio-based bioplastic… There are many alternatives. But what are we talking about Panorama of sustainable packaging solutions, following our webinar organized on the subject last May (see the replay on this link), to read below? Petrol-based, bio-based, biodegradable… do not put them in the same basket!

Sustainable Packaging

"There are many concepts concerning sustainable packaging in custom packaging for small business … And it is easy to get lost", comments Thomas Krakowiak, lecturer in physic-chemistry at Argo Sup Dijon. For the researcher, there is a simple way to visualize the differences between each of these concepts: "I represent the existing materials according to a 2-axis diagram: one going from "petrochemical" to "bio-based," the other going from "Non-degradable" to "biodegradable." This allows us to get out of a vision that is sometimes too simplistic, or leading to shortcuts."

Dark background: bio plastics (VS light background: non-bio plastic)

Thus, at the bottom left of this diagram, we find conventional plastics… some of which can be recycled and reused for the same purpose. This diagram also reminds us that materials derived from petroleum are biodegradable (PCL, PBAT, PBSA), while specific bio-based-based materials are not (bio-PET, bio-PTT, bio-PA).

Indeed, suppose the term "bio-based" refers to the raw materials used, which must be derived from biomass (such as rice, potatoes, soybeans, sugar cane, corn, mushrooms. , etc.). In that case, the term "biodegradable" refers to the decomposition capacity of material under the action of micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, worms, etc.).

"Bioplastics": the importance of the plural

According to European Bioplastics 2019, bioplastics represent 1% of the world's annual plastic production. But what are they referring to? First of all, it is essential to come back to the plural: "the" bioplastics, because they are indeed several, and of different types, the prefix "bio" being able to refer to "bio-based" or "biodegradable."

 

 

Bioplastic, therefore, refers to materials derived either from bio-based plastics (for example, corn or sugar cane), or, if they are biodegradable, from fossil resources (petrochemical reactions)… "or both!" », Adds Thomas Karbowiak . Some plastics, such as PHA (polyhydroxy alkanets), polyesters produced by bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids (often a waste recovery), or PLA (polylactic acid), which can be obtained from starch from corn, sugar beet, or sugar cane, are both bio-based and biodegradable.

It will then be called bio-PET (for ethylene bio-terephthalate) since the resource used is renewable - unlike petroleum. However, it will not be biodegradable. "

For example:

The Alpha company has developed coffee capsules made from bio-based organic materials, mainly from sunflower husks in Australia. Biodegradable at home within six months, these capsules are also available with a home composter to encourage consumers to adopt these ethical practices.

Nestlé has developed bio-based paper packaging for its cereal and fruit bars, suitable for high-speed bagging machine lines (designed to handle plastic) and ensuring the quality and freshness of the product.

The Rape company has developed a 100% bio-based packaging for sandwiches. The cardboard is made from stalks and leaves of rice, wheat, corn, and sugar cane. A thoughtful way to exploit these harvest by-products, most of the time burnt (only 20% of these by-products are currently used). Recyclable up to 7 times, this packaging is fully home compostable.

Biodegradable VS compostable: different certifications

The biodegradable and the compostable are positioned as sustainable alternatives… and if the concepts seem acquired by all, regulatory frameworks exist to obtain the corresponding certifications. "There are precise regulatory frameworks for biodegradability and compostability," specifies Thomas Karbowiak, "taking into account both the degree of decomposition of a substance and the time required to obtain this decomposition."