Transcript The Role of Packaging in Society

The Role of Packaging
in Society
Dick Searle
Chief Executive
The Packaging Federation
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Packaging under the microscope
 Very visible but little understood
 Much un-informed comment
 Significant ‘environmental’ pressure
 Reactions from consumers and “Government”
 The ‘waste problem’
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‘Don’t confuse me with the facts’
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Examine the evolution of society
And the way that shopping has developed
See how packaging has changed
Where are we now?
What is ‘excessive packaging’?
Where do we go from here?
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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
 Computers
 Internet
 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
 Eating ‘on the run’
 Divorce is high
 Internet shopping
 32% single person households
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So what about shopping habits…
In the 50’s…
 Shopping was a daily exercise
 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’
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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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So let’s look at some of the ‘new boys’
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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 there’s more!...
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Ovenable packaging
Modified atmosphere packaging
Frozen food packaging
Microwaveable packaging
Chilled food packaging
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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And now Easter eggs for the dog!
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Cosmetics and perfumery
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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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Ambivalent consumer attitudes
 Packaging responds to the needs of modern
lifestyles
 Consumer concern about the environment is real
but is it well informed? e.g. biodegradables
 Do they really want a return to the shopping
regimes of yesteryear
 How much of consumer preference is theirs and
how much is ‘assumed’ by the supply chain
 The next couple of years will be very enlightening
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The retailers position
 Many need to do more to acknowledge/defend
the importance of packaging to their activities
 As do many packer/fillers
 The Courtauld Commitment
 What impact is it having?
 And how will it be measured?
 And what will be the consequences to them…
and to their customers?
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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
 We can do more… but not alone!
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And so… in summary
 Packaging has made a huge contribution to
life as we know it and we should be proud of
that
 We have proved our innovation abilities time
after time
 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 finally…..some context
 Packaging is 3% of landfill
 Global carbon footprint of packaging
including disposal is probably >1%
 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
TEN times the impact of packaging waste
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And finally…..some context
 SO - ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME THAT THESE
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 & DRINKING MILK!!
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