Paper is circular replacement for plastic packaging, says Ellen MacArthur Foundation

(CONNECT) Flexible sachets, wrappers, and pouches comprise 80 percent of the plastic packaging that pollutes the world’s oceans. Today, an estimated 20 trillion packages are forecast to spill into the seas in the next 15 years. But paper could replace much of the materials in that packaging, according to a new Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, said a March 10 press release.

Entitled “Paper-Based Flexible Packaging – The role it could play in tackling small-format flexible plastic pollution in markets with high leakage rates,” the report explained how paper is recyclable and biodegradable, so it can be reused or make less impact on the environment if it becomes waste.

“There’s no silver bullet,” said Ellen MacArthur Foundation Plastics Strategy Lead Sander Defruyt. “Therefore, adding paper-based alternatives to the mix helpfully expands the toolbox, complementing other priority solutions such as reusable packaging. This will require major innovation and action from industry and policymakers to speed up development and scaling.” 

The report recommended six critical criteria to make the best transition to paper packaging. New paper packaging should be responsibly sourced to reduce forest destruction; produced to minimize climate impacts; serve customers’ needs; recycled locally; avoid hazardous chemicals; and align with other circular economic strategies.

Forty-seven NGOs, researchers, and businesses, including giants like Unilever, contributed to the report. "Next-generation paper-based flexible packaging is a key focus for Unilever and an industry-wide priority,” said Pablo Costa, global head of packaging, digital, and transformation at Unilever. ce/jd