Dublin, Aug. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Sustainable Packaging: Circularity for Rigid Plastics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
Rigid plastics are a versatile, efficient group of packaging materials, which represent more than a quarter of global grocery sales, but which are being increasingly challenged, by consumers and by regulators for their presence in waste. Prioritising efficiency and circularity in plastic packaging designs together with improving end-of-life recovery, recycling and re-use are key, to elevate the environmental profile of plastic and to prevent this resource from becoming waste.
Key findings
Rigid plastic accounts for more than one in every four packs sold today
At 1.1 trillion packs in 2023, rigid plastic accounted for 28% of global grocery packaging sales, led by PET-bottled soft drinks and thin wall plastic food packaging. Its success in use comes from versatility in size and shape, while its light weight brings distribution efficiency gains.
Rising influencer concerns confers a responsibility to improve pack circularity
Two thirds of consumers are worried about climate change, and see plastic as a priority action area, to reduce its pollution. Regulatory intervention facilitates as EU regulation on tethered caps, effective from July 2024, shows, with potential for a global plastic treaty by end-2024. Improving brand pack circularity amid influencer pressures is integral to future-proof rigid plastic.
To close the gap on waste and reduce carbon footprint requires robust recycling and re-use
Prioritising design for recyclability or composting needs to be combined with more effective collection, recycling and re-use, to prevent plastic waste. Recycling rates remain far from optimal: PET (highly recyclable) bottle recycling hovers around 60% in Europe and is markedly lower elsewhere. Investment in recycling and recycled resins are key to reducing carbon impact.
Voluntary and regulatory targets can catalyse change
Businesses and regulators increasingly pledge rigid plastics sustainability via redesigns to remove surplus, lightweighting and recycled resins. While some 2025 milestones will not be met, with a recalibrating of pledges happening, targets provide a framework to catalyse collaborative progress and create investment opportunities, in renewable plastics and recycling.
Lead the charge on renewables and recycled content, for circular plastics momentum and reputation
Leadership on embedding renewable, recyclable and recycled in rigid plastics can enable companies and countries to make advances not only in circularity for plastics but also on net-zero climate pledges. There is a reputational rationale too; consumers seek sustainable packaging, so advances made, that are communicated well, can improve brand standing.
The Sustainable Packaging: Circularity for Rigid Plastics global briefing offers an insight into to the size and shape of the packaging market, highlights the effect of emerging geographies, categories and consumer trends on the packaging landscape. It identifies the leading pack types, offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the packaging market - be they packaging innovations, consumption growth, category switching, economic/lifestyle influences, legislation or environmental issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change and criteria for success.
Key Topics Covered:
Introduction
- Key findings
- Rigid plastics face challenges as climate concerns grow
Rigid plastics in a changing landscape
- Rigid plastics are a powerhouse but not immune to cost-of-living pressures
- Future will be shaped by soft drinks and food as core end-uses, and by waste concerns
- The climate matters: Consumers want to live more sustainably with less plastic waste
- Rigid plastics rank among most discarded waste items, if some improvement
- Environmental regulatory pressure on plastic is rising, with Europe leading
Advancing circularity: Eco-design to re-use
- Circularity is becoming more established in strategy and investment plans
- Sustainable packaging is the top sustainability priority for new launches in 2024
- Rigid plastics recyclability guidance: Not all plastics are equal
- Redesign via recyclate: Increase recycling and recycled content to reduce carbon impact
- Coca-Cola India is partnering with Reliance Retail on a PET collection and recycling pilot
- A place for refills: Potential for plastic and competitor substrates
- New EU rules add pressure to drinks: On collection, recyclate and for, the first time, refills
Evaluation of progress
- Businesses pledge to sustainable plastic, for packaging and climate goals
- Reducing plastic's footprint: Renewable pack design action is strong
- But many brands will not reach 2025 targets: Slow economy and infrastructure impede
- Plastics' recycling: EU capacities are progressing but still off-target
- Plastic Pacts: The value of voluntary collaborations to accelerate progress
- Alongside the power of collaboration, policy is essential
- Power of policy (if implemented) to supercharge recycled plastic: European taxation
- EU's PPWR brings potential to fast-track PET beverage bottle collection, mostly via DRS
- The reputational incentive to spur on plastics' sustainability
Conclusion
- Recommendations
- Treat rigid plastic as a valuable resource destined for repeated re-use
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j1v9vy
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