You Ask and We Answer

We're hiring

Do you know any outstanding graduates looking for a trainee role? We have a new opportunity within our commercial team, involving a focus on building long-term relationships with customers. 

This is a challenging and rewarding role working with food manufacturers and suppliers around the globe to protect, present, and preserve food.  Please spread the word. 

More details >>

You Ask and Our Experts Will Answer

Thanks to all who joined our first Zoom drop-in session this week, "You ask and our experts will answer". It was fabulous to talk to industry peers and customers from the UK and elsewhere including South Africa and Chile.

We covered topics ranging from sustainability, food waste and the opportunity to extend shelf life with laser perforation, recycled content in film, and implications of the upcoming Plastics Tax on food waste.  

Our next session will be announced shortly and will be hosted at a time suitable for our Australian audience to also participate. In addition, we will aim to introduce either a waiting room system or time slots. 

If you would like to be advised of when the next session will take place or wish to submit any questions, please let us know on:

[email protected] >>

Talking politics to influence change

The impact of the Plastics Tax and Brexit-related import duties are two hot topics we have recently been discussing with our local MP, Tom Pursglove. In their current form, both will disadvantage UK manufacturing in the home and export markets as well as threatening jobs.

The consultation deadline for "Plastic Packaging Tax: policy design" is 20th August, 2020, and the BPF have issued their draft response to members today.

On these and other key matters, we would urge you to also engage with your MP … it can help to influence change.

Meeting our MP >>
Plastics Tax consultation >>

Food for thought …

• Satisfying Britain's love of Indian food – Ashok Kaul, President of Noon, talks about the authentic heritage and traditional cooking techniques used for the production of the company's chilled ready meals.
• 2020 food trends reshuffled by COVID-19 – there's a growing appetite for meat-alternatives and frozen produce while mocktails fail to hit the spot.
• 7 a day is the new 5 – it's recommended that we eat even more fruit and veg.

Talking about the circular economy …

• Alternatives to plastic packaging "emit more greenhouse gases" – a new report that looks at the carbon impact of packaging material has found that, in most cases, cardboard, glass, steel, and aluminium have higher emissions than plastic.
• Is a world without trash possible? – the Ellen MacArthur Foundation says: "The circular economy is meant to reshape the global economy to eliminate waste."
• The challenges for flexible packaging – UK Plastics Pact and WRAP call for a move to mono-materials and Peter Maddox, Director of WRAP, says "developing a recycling system for flexible plastics" is key to meeting targets.
• Green for go – WRAP is calling on the government to make a circular economy part of its green recovery plans and has illustrated the benefits to the UK economy of doing so.

And finally …

• Edible, natural, and biodegradable packaging – an inside look at Notpla that uses seaweed and plants to replace single-use plastic.
• Burning waste could heat half a million homes – report reveals the eco-friendly benefits of turning the UK's 27.5 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste into energy.

From the KM team … Stay Safe and Keep up the Good Work.