Over the years, the world has been turning to more sustainable options. Europe has been leading the way in these practices. Topics such as climate change and the severe impact of global warming are driving consumers to pay more attention to the everyday items they buy, use and dispose of. This increased awareness is driving companies to take greener initiatives through renewable, recyclable and sustainable materials. It also means saying goodbye to plastic.
Have you ever stopped to think about how much plastic consumes your daily life? Purchased products are only used and discarded after one use. Today, they can be used for almost everything, such as: water bottles, shopping bags, knives, food containers, beverage cups, straws, packaging materials. However, the pandemic has led to an unprecedented surge in the production of single-use plastics, especially with the boom in e-commerce and D2C packaging.
To help curb the continued growth of environmentally harmful materials, the European Union (EU) passed a ban on certain single-use plastics in July 2021. They define these products as “made in whole or in part from plastic and not conceived, designed or placed on the market for multiple uses of the same product.” The ban targets alternatives, more affordable and environmentally friendly products.
With these more sustainable materials, Europe is the market leader with a specific type of packaging – aseptic packaging. It’s also an expanding market that is expected to grow to $81 billion by 2027. But what exactly makes this packaging trend so unique? Aseptic packaging uses a special manufacturing process where products are individually sterilized before being combined and sealed in a sterile environment. And because it’s eco-friendly, aseptic packaging is hitting more store shelves. It is commonly used in beverages as well as food and pharmaceuticals, which is why the sterilization process is so important, it helps extend shelf life by safely preserving the product with fewer additives.
Several layers of materials are compounded together to provide the protection required for sterility standards. This includes the following materials: paper, polyethylene, aluminum, film, etc. These material alternatives have significantly reduced the need for plastic packaging. As these sustainable options become more integrated into the European market, the influence is spreading to the United States. So, what changes have we made to accommodate this market change?
What our company do is to produce various paper ropes, paper bag handles, paper ribbons and paper strings. They are used to replace nylon cords. They are biodegradable and recyclable, just meet the European Vision of “Go Green” !
Post time: Jul-07-2022
