Transcript The Role of Packaging in Society

The Role of Packaging
in Society
Dick Searle
Chief Executive
The Packaging Federation
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The “Inconvenient Truths” of Packaging
 Packaging only exists because products exist
 First & foremost it’s a Delivery System for Products
 Its Primary Role is to contain, protect and preserve
 But it’s also a Primary Mechanism for Branding
 It’s very visible but little understood by consumers
 But its environmental impact is much, much less than
that of the damage that would arise without it
 And…Modern Society couldn’t function without it!!
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‘So why is there so much Packaging?’
 Examine the evolution of society
 And the way that shopping has
developed
 See how Packaging has changed
 Where are we today?
 And what about ‘Excessive Packaging’?
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The way things were…
What did most households not have in the 50’s:
 Car
 Phone
 Bath
 Central heating
 TV
 Washing machine
 Fridge
 Freezer
 Dishwasher
 DVD Players
 Computers
 Internet
 Mobile phones
 AND…!!!!!!
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The way things were…
What did most households not have in the 50’s:
 MICROWAVE
OVENS !!!!
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The way things were (2)…
And society was different too:
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Mostly two parent households
Divorce was rare
Few ‘working mothers’
Pace of life was much slower
Meal times (eating together) was the norm
Disposable income was low
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And now…
 For most all the noes have become yeses
 Pace of life dramatically higher and still
accelerating
 Working households are the norm
 32% single person households
 Eating ‘on the run’
 Less cooking, more prepared foods
 Much more “city living”
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So what about shopping habits…
In the 50’s…
 Shopping was a daily exercise – no fridges!
 Grocers shops (Liptons, Maypole, H&C)
 No supermarkets
 Most products sold loose – queues/hygiene
 Home deliveries of milk, bread…even ‘pop’
 Range was limited and fresh food seasonal
 Convenience foods almost unheard of
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Then…
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Then…
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…and now
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So what about shopping habits (2)…
And now…
 Consumption has increased dramatically
 Supermarkets are everywhere
 Shopping is mostly a weekly excursion
 Range and choice are huge
 Products available all year round
 Convenience is ‘everything’
 And it’s this consumer demand for goods that
drives demand for the packaging around it
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So what about packaging’s role in this?
 Packaging is the ‘enabler’ for shopping as we
know it today – supermarkets could not exist
without it
 Product wastage in the supply chain is now
minimal
 Product presentation and information are key
 Brands are mostly defined by their Packaging
 Many markets owe their existence to
developments in packaging
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All of these developed since the 50’s
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Lightweight one-trip glass bottles
Easy-open beverage cans
Plastic bottles and tubes
PET bottles
Flexible packaging sachets and pouches
Plastic films
Child resistant packaging
Liquid packaging cartons
Aseptic packaging
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And these!...
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Ovenable packaging
Modified atmosphere packaging
Frozen food packaging
Microwaveable packaging
Chilled food packaging
Aerosols for toiletries & household products
Aerosols for food and more
Multiple packaging – board and plastics
Shelf ready packaging
And so on…
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So what has the Packaging Industry done?
 Developed a fantastic range of new products
 Enabled a huge change in the way we shop
 Facilitated the reduction in food waste in the
supply chain to ca. 3%
 Lightweighted packaging across the board
 Achieved the decoupling of GDP growth from
the increase in packaging used
 Given consumers product protection,
hygiene, convenience and pack information
 Provided the platform for product
branding and identification
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So where are we now?
Demands of the product
Demands of:
Demands of:
Secondary packaging
Consumer
Production
Primary packaging
Retailer
PRODUCT
Marketer
Distribution
Storage
Demands of legislation
and ‘environment’
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Some of the issues that we face
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Allegations of ‘excess packaging’
Ambivalent consumer attitudes
Limited ‘recognition’ by the supply chain
The Courtauld Commitment
The packaging waste ‘problem’
The carbon footprint debate
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Let’s look at ‘excess’ packaging
Some of the more commonly quoted examples:
 Easter eggs
 Cosmetics and perfumery packaging
 Point of sale packaging, e.g. pens
 Software
 Memory chips
 Fruit and vegetables in plastic
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Easter eggs… who needs them?
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Give them a bar of chocolate instead !!
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And now Easter eggs for the dog!
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Cosmetics and perfumery
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But of course you could try this..!!
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Point of sale packaging
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Software and memory chips
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Fruit and vegetables in plastic
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Excess packaging… in summary
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Like beauty… is in the eye of the beholder
And of course there are examples
But often part of the product offering/image
Or part of the retail methodology
Comes down to consumer choice
But remember the Essential Requirement
Regulations – only enforced (currently) in
three EU countries… including the UK!
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Consumer Attitudes
 Packaging responds to the needs of modern lifestyles and
consumer demand – 24/7
 Consumer concern about the environment is real but is it
well informed?
 Are the messages right? – packaging vs global warming
 Should all packaging be recyclable?
 Do they understand that packaging is “only” the delivery
system for the products that they demand?
 Do consumers really want a return to the shopping regimes
of yesteryear?
 And what about what they say……as opposed to what they
actually do!
 And what about food waste in the home
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Consumer “Education”….and ours!
 Knowledge of the real facts about packaging is
very limited
 “Recycling more important than reduced car use”
 Whole supply chain needs to do much
more….starting with their own employees!
 “Packaging in Perspective”
 www.packagingfedn.co.uk/factsheets.html
 Tell your friends
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The Messages from Government
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Totemic issues
Consumers’ carbon “footprint” – 40%!
What are the real issues?
Time for honesty?
Remember…..household food waste has
at least 15 times more environmental
impact than packaging waste
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And some “reminders” from us
 Packaging is <3% of landfill
 Global carbon footprint of packaging including
disposal is probably <2%
 And what would the footprint be without it!
 There’s ten times more energy & materials in
products than in the packaging around them
 The energy content of one day’s packaging is
equal to ONE MILE driven in the car !!
 AVOIDABLE food waste in the bin has some
FIFTEEN times the impact of packaging waste
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Packaging waste in perspective
 < 3% of landfill and 18% of household waste
 But very visible
 Huge progress in last few years – ca.60%
now recycled
 Good recycling needs a better waste stream
 Further progress requires ‘joined-up thinking’
 The waste hierarchy must use ‘real science’
 Energy from waste must be taken seriously –
particularly with insecurity of energy supply
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And so… in summary
 Packaging has made a huge contribution to life as we
know it and, as an industry, we are proud of that
 We have proved our innovation abilities time after
time
 And we’ll keep working to minimise the environmental
impact of our products
 We are first and last a service industry and we are
ready and able to respond to changes in society’s
needs
 BUT…is society prepared to make the changes and
pay the price – in all senses of the word?
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And so….. In Conclusion
 Modern demand needs modern packaging
 Without it we’re back to the 50’s – with no
supermarkets, restricted choice and vast increases
in wastage
 Life is about choices……….
 Packaging as Saint or Sinner like beauty is in the
eye of the beholder. But, as a major contributor to
the way in which society functions, it’s difficult to
see many products which have made a more
significant change to consumer lifestyles!!
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And so……
 ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME THAT MUCH BIGGER
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RECEIVED A LOT MORE
ATTENTION THAN PACKAGING DOES ??
 BUT THERE’S NO VOTES IN TELLING PEOPLE TO
DRIVE LESS, FLY LESS, USE LESS ENERGY IN THE
HOME……AND STOP EATING MEAT
 SO, FOR US, WE’LL KEEP TELLING IT AS IT
REALLY IS…!!
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