A report published by UPM Speciality Materials and compiled with Smithers, predicts that fibre will be the leading packaging material by 2045.
This is based on climbing recycling rates, increasing regulation, a shift in consumer perception and technology breakthroughs. Smithers quizzed 230 professionals from across the packaging supply chain to understand the dynamics and trends driving the sector.
Food packaging is set to move from 37% use of fibre today to 42% by 2045. This will be at the expense of plastic which has so far dominated food packaging because of its convenience and cost.
This will be helped by development of water based barrier coatings that do not impede the recyclability of the material. Legislation from governments across the world is expected to insist on increasing levels of recycling.
Of those surveyed 71% believe this is likely while 88% expect this to drive fundamental change in how brands specify packaging. Tghuis already includes Extended Producer Responsibility and eco-modulation fees will only increase making the choice of a recyclable high performance material the logical choice based on cost and convenience.
UPM Speciality Materials is among the paper companies developing the coatings that will enable this to happen.
Its director of products and technology Janne Varvemaa says: “We’re encouraged to see strong momentum behind fibre based packaging, driven by regulation, consumer demand, and ongoing innovation in barrier technologies. Our role is to support customers in this transition with high performance, sustainable solutions that do not compromise on functionality.”
It is not going to be plain sailing. UPM comments that food-safe recycled materials are challenging to achieve because the material must eliminate any residue of hazardous chemistry. It says: “Meeting these standards increases the complexity, energy intensity and cost of recycling technology and this applies to all food-safe materials: chemical recycling of plastics, processing of post consumer metal and glass and food-safe recycled fibre alike.”
The solution may be to adopt a cascading system not unlike that used for paper where the highest grades are produced from virgin fibres, and recycled fibre eventually find their way into newsprint and corrugated box applications.
