Plastic Packaging in the Pandemic

Plastic packaging … 

Hero or villain in the coronavirus era?

Is plastic in food packaging a hero or a villain during the coronavirus crisis? Some argue it's vital for protecting food and extending shelf life. Others claim the pandemic highlights that disposable plastic is unsustainable and a carrier of harmful bacteria.

The topic is explored this week by Food Navigator in conversation with Barry Turner, Director of Plastics and Flexible Packaging at the British Plastics Federation, and Sian Sutherland, founder of A Plastic Planet.

Appreciate it, don't love or hate it

In response to the "Hero or Villain" article, Jim Downham, CEO of PAC Packaging Consortium, has said: "Packaging, appreciate it, don't love or hate it". On LinkedIn, he expressed the view: "The primary role of food packaging is to protect both consumers and products."

One comment it provoked was: "Plastic certainly has its place. Where would we be today during this global pandemic, without it?"

Reduce, recycle, reuse

In our series "Lifting the Lid on Plastic", we have explored the role of the material in food packaging today.  The information we present reveals why plastic should be valued with an emphasis on plastic reduction, recycling, and reuse.

You can read the articles here:

Part 1 - How the "greatest thing since sliced bread” became toast.
Part 2 - Food for thought on tackling food waste.
Part 3 - Any colour as long as it’s not black.    

Great inroads have already been made in achieving circularity for plastics. And, while some of the progress may have been paused or even reversed due to meeting the demands of the coronavirus crisis, momentum will resume in due course.

At KM, we value the benefits, versatility, and functionality of plastic, and focus on choosing the best material for our customer’s purpose.

A circular economy for flexible packaging

Flexible packaging is very light and resource-efficient, but recyclability “is critical”. In a video interview published by CEFLEX, Jean-Paul Duquet, of Flexible Packaging Europe, talks about flexible packaging and the key ingredients to achieve “mission circular”.

Breaking it down ...

• Mutant Ninja Enzyme … Scientists create mutant enzyme that recycles plastic bottles in hours.
• Chemical Reaction … The unique approach to chemical recycling from a Netherland’s start-up.

News from the aisles and in the factories

• Cash Bonus … Morrisons to treble staff bonuses in recognition of “huge effort”.
• Feeding the Nation … recognising the people who keep the food coming.
  • 11 million meals in March from the Kerry Foods team.
  • 144 million chilled prepared meals a year from Greencore.
  • Working around the clock at Hilton Seafood UK

We’re clapping for all retail and food manufacturing employees during these times as well as all our colleagues in the packaging supply chain.

#foodhereos

Also this week

• World Health Day … celebrating the critical role that nurses and midwives play in keeping the world healthy. 
• Apple revealed its coronavirus face shield design.
• West Midlands workforce making 100,000 face shields per week for the NHS.
• Fighting Spirit … Plastics industry shines in the fight against COVID-19.

And to wrap up ...

To keep you informed during the Easter break:

• Read about … the next 5-10 years of the food manufacturing industry, focusing on technical and process. 
• Listen to … Radio 4’s “Costing the Earth - Fantastic Plastic”.

From the KM team … Stay Safe, Keep up the Good Work, Help Others.

#feedthenation