Packaging, as we well know, performs fundamental functions that it cannot fail to fulfil. It must first and foremost protect and preserve its contents, it must be functional throughout the logistics chain, from transport to in-store display, it must be a vehicle for product information, it must identify a brand and attract the buyer's attention. These many responsibilities and all the duties of packaging must find a compromise in its physical realisation: it must not employ excessive resources, which impact on the environment, but neither must it aim solely at saving resources, because doing so could lead to the dangers of premature deterioration, contamination, or lack of protection.
The ideal packaging, therefore, must be 'balanced', to use the specific term of the second principle of the Ethical Packaging Charter, a document whose wide-ranging vision we are familiar with. Even in the recently concluded European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), its principles offer food for thought that we want to share with you.
What is EWWR?
If you have lost the content on our social profile, we will explain it to you now. It is an event aimed at promoting awareness of sustainability and proper waste management. During a pre-established week (this year, 18/26 November 2023) the production of content and the organisation of information and awareness-raising initiatives by any producer or consumer is encouraged.
The EWWR was created within the LIFE+ Programme of the European Commission with the primary objective of raising awareness among institutions, consumers and all other stakeholders about the waste prevention strategies and policies implemented by the European Union, which Member States must pursue, also following the recent regulatory provisions (Waste Framework Directive, 2008/98/EC).
The actions carried out within the framework of the European Week for Waste Reduction concern the "3Rs": Waste Reduction, Reuse of Products, Recycling of Materials.
The aim is therefore to promote greater awareness of the excessive amounts of waste produced and the need to drastically reduce it, with an emphasis on prevention. The responsibility is shared if we think about the principles of EWWR and the Foundation . The task we are all called upon to do is to trigger a virtuous circle that encourages consumers to quit bad habits, incentivises producers to use reusable packaging and encourages large retailers to sell products with the minimum packaging necessary.
The solutions are complex and, as we have seen, it is often difficult to maintain a balance between under-packaging and over-packaging especially for food or particularly delicate products, but of course something can be done about it.
How to create balanced packaging?
Flexible packaging, by its very nature, opposes over-packaging as it fits the product like a tailor-made suit. Packstyle offers a wide assortment of pouches: flat or doypack, from single-serving to so-called 'family' formats so as to adapt to the most different containment needs, without waste of volume or material. The weight of Packstyle pouches is very low compared to other types of packaging, such as plastic or glass jars, or even cardboard boxes.
However, although Packstyle's materials are very light, they are strong and, with their accessories, they guarantee optimal product preservation, even after the first opening. For example, the reclosable zip allows the packaging to be hermetically sealed, thus enabling a long product shelf life and prolonged use of the packaging, avoiding the use of disposable packaging only.
When it comes to recyclability, Packstyle has made great strides. This year alone, two recyclable materials were added to Packstyle's offer: metallised recyclable film and transparent recyclable film, which passed the recyclability test carried out by Interseroh+ with distinction. Among the sustainable proposals then we find the Aticelca certified recyclable paper that can be entirely disposed of in paper.
The watchword is balance, also for order management. But how?
Ordering only the necessary quantity of packaging is a choice that goes in the direction of packaging reduction. In fact, there is often a tendency to order large quantities of packaging, submitting to the commercial policies of manufacturing companies that impose a very high minimum order quantity in order to reduce costs. Packstyle flexible packaging, on the other hand, moves away from these mechanisms because, being digitally printed, it has no initiation costs to absorb in large production runs. One of Packstyle's strengths is the fact that it proposes minimum orders starting from 50 pieces. This avoids stockpiling and waste in case the packaging needs to be modified. Contributing to this new mentality of supplying packaging 'on demand', there are also the fast shipments that allow customised goods to be obtained in a very short time, 5 working days.
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How to communicate in a balanced way?
Communication also has its importance when it comes to awareness and sustainability: here it is necessary to avoid excesses and inform the end customer in a balanced and conscious manner, avoiding information overload that distracts from the focus. Balanced packaging in fact avoids the overcrowding of information that disorients the recipient and finds a correct communication that meets the information needs.
An example? Informing about the recycling of packaging material is important, but the disposal instructions must be short and clear. The aim is to enable the customer to clearly understand the right destination of the packaging at the end of its life cycle.
We have read it and been told: it only takes a drop to change the world if everyone contributes in the same direction, so let's get on with it! From 18 to 26 November, on the occasion of the European Week for Waste Reduction - EWWR, many initiatives were promoted to bring all actors involved in the packaging cycle closer to a more conscious behaviour.
We at Packstyle, ambassadors of the Ethical Packaging Charter, have released short videos to try to get more people to become aware of the importance of waste reduction and a new balance in waste management.
In these months we have also tried to convey the importance of this harmony to the youngest with the Packaging Che Fantastica Avventura project, created in collaboration with the Packaging Ethics Foundation and Dracma. The initiative includes a series of workshops in primary and middle school classes in which the function of packaging, its correct use and optimal disposal are explained. The children of today will make the most important decisions of our tomorrow and it is therefore our duty to give them the tools to do so, consciously. We have tried to do this by visiting schools in our area, in Romano D'Ezzelino, to make even the youngest children aware of their responsibilities, encouraging them to be balanced consumers.
With our flexible packaging, we try our best to stay light even when it comes to our environmental footprint! Learn more by visiting our socials and watch all the EWWR videos.
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