The problem of waste packaging goes much further than your local landfill site. Dealing with the issue is such a big problem that it requires coordination on a European and even global scale.
Much of the research done on trying to improve the sustainability of packaging concerns the financial costs associated with materials and production.
Ultimately, using fewer raw materials and less energy in the production of packaging is good for the environment and also for the manufacturer's bottom line.
Companies such as P&G have long understood the link between environmental performance and the wise use of energy and natural resources; in fact this is enshrined in P&G's Environmental Quality Policy.
In Europe, meanwhile, a harmonised, pan-European regulatory framework is in place, mainly via the European Commission Council Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste.
This essentially aims to harmonise national measures concerning the management of packaging and packaging waste in order to prevent or reduce their impact, thus providing a high level of environmental protection, and to avoid obstacles to trade in the European market.
It contains provisions on the prevention, reuse, recovery and recycling of packaging so all of it should, for example:
- Have weight and volume minimized to the amount needed for safety and acceptance of the packed product.
- Be suitable for material recycling, energy recovery or composting, or reuse if intended.
- Be manufactured in a way which ensures any noxious or hazardous constituents should have minimum impact on the environment.
The European Union also has targets for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. By 2009, the European Union aims to recover at least 60 per cent of packaging waste, and recycle a minimum of 55 per cent.
In order to achieve this, each country in Europe has its own organisation dedicated to managing packaging waste.