As a new materials specialist, Aquapak is following the ongoing development and implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging legislation very closely.
Packaging EPR makes producers, importers, and brand owners responsible for the collection, recycling, and responsible disposal of packaging waste that arises from their products. The goal is to reduce environmental impact, promote recyclable and sustainable packaging and shift waste management costs from the public to the producers.
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
We believe Hydropol innovation, a marine-safe and non-toxic dissolvable polymer, is well positioned to help consumers and brands make the transition away from hard-to-recycle packaging materials and stop plastic waste entering the environment in the first place. If the target of EPR is to ensure that producers actively engage in sustainable practices and decrease the total environmental impact from their products and packaging, we can’t keep using the same tools and materials to fix the problem. Extended responsibility must also mean an extension to include the use of proven new materials to help producers recycle more effectively without compromising the integrity of their products.
There needs to be a significant shift away from the status quo for packaging. New legislation should support faster adoption of innovation that is specifically developed to retain packaging functionality, support recyclability and offer safe end of life options if optimal waste management processes are not available.
However, as always, the devil is in the detail and there are several contentious issues within the current framework that need further examination if widespread acceptance is to be achieved.
UK pEPR & Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM)
When is paper packaging not paper packaging? Last year Hydropol innovation enabled the development of revolutionary kerbside recyclable crisp packets, and chocolate bar wrappers. OPRL recyclability testing and evidence from leading paper mills shows that this new type of packaging enables up to 100% fibre recovery without harmful microplastics or plastic contamination released into the environment.
So that’s zero plastic waste, meaning that billions of crisp packets are not ending up in landfill or incineration. Such examples should be considered when proposing anecdotal non-fibre thresholds in the RAM.
The RAM has been criticized by key stakeholders in the industry for over-simplistic modelling for fibre-based packaging based purely on lower percentages of conventional plastics coated onto paper. Fundamentally this is still accepting a level of persistent plastic waste in the environment, and less efficient recovery of valuable recyclate.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that we’re all part of a global packaging supply chain, with different regulations, specifications and schemes in place around the world. UK innovation, like Hydropol, can enable recyclability improvements, and reduce plastic waste in many countries so it is important our own local legislation provides the right platform for that to succeed.
Collaborative future focused solutions
Based on feedback from the industry and given the advancements in packaging technology, future iterations of the RAM will look very different so we’re collaborating closely with the whole of the packaging supply chain, industry partners like CEPI, Defra and Pack UK, the official UK pEPR scheme administrators, to ensure that new materials like Hydropol are part of the solution and switching over from conventional materials can happen smoothly and without the need for additional investment in new packaging lines or machinery.
