Page 26 - Packaging News magazine March_April 2023

FOOD & DRINK PACKAGING
The ESG in packaging dESiGn
Food packaging solutions specialist Sealed Air reviews how packaging design helps brand owners demonstrate their environmental, social and governance stewardship.
IF YOU WORK for a food brand, chances are you analyse every aspect of con- sumer brand packaging for its impact
and experience. Beyond the consumer experience, the right packaging design can deliver value for all stakeholders, and it can also accelerate environ- mental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes for companies adopting the ESG framework.
E IS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
No matter your material choice, the use of packaging will leave an impact on the environment. Whether your objectives for environment encompass packaging disposal, reducing packaging usage or reducing food waste, the value you cap- ture begins with its design.
“Take food waste for example,” says Sealed Air’s director of sustainability, Alan Adams. “Food waste just amplifies our carbon footprint, waste and resource scarcity challenges. Shelf life allows us to buy time, yielding a significant outcome for our planet, and it needs to be top of mind. For fresh chilled proteins, we see a significant difference in shelf life between packaging solutions, so choos- ing shelf life that enables less waste is
a key ingredient for brands wanting to show its stewardship.”
Beyond product protection, pack- aging that yields the lowest carbon outcome is a key design consideration, and this is where material choice can really make an impact. Whether it’s the way material is produced, the way it is recycled as we design for circularity, or the need to use less, these outcomes are shaping the future of packaging.
“Driving these outcomes should be approached with curiosity,” Adams says, and goes on to explain that both Sealed Air’s Cryovac brand Darfresh vacuum skin packaging made from mono-PET, as well as Cryovac brand R90 vacuum bar- rier shrink packaging, positively address circularity while retaining the critical function of shelf life and food preservation.
“Both packaging innovations evolved from a re-design of existing structures, demonstrating that innovation doesn’t always mean going back to square one,” Adams says.
Circularity and closed-loop systems require a step change in innovation, but ESG adoption by all stakeholders ensures that design starts with the end in mind.
Below: Formulated for less food waste and efficient recovery, the Cryovac brand R90 barrier shrink bags.
Collaborations between Sealed Air, ExxonMobil and APR plastics will see a new wave of circular solutions that can be leveraged by Australia’s food indus- try to protect its products.
S IS FOR SOCIAL
Your choice of packaging material or process can help create better commu- nities and workplaces.
Healthy communities are under- pinned by good sanitation and good health and well-being.
“And it’s not just life on land that we should consider,” says Adams. “From packaging automation that reduces worker injuries associated with repeti- tive motion, through to leveraging the right resources to ensure packaging waste is managed without creating a pollution problem, you can demon- strate your social stewardship through thoughtful packaging design.”
G IS FOR GOVERNANCE
Reporting on ESG progress is becom- ing increasingly important as it is the gateway to building transparency and trust with employees, shareholders and communities.
Our collective efforts are essential to making our world better than we find it, and packaging is a gateway. If you aren’t already doing so, it’s time to leverage packaging to accelerate environmental, social and governance outcomes.
“Sealed Air continues to advance its approach to environmental, social and governance to achieve net positive out- comes,” Adams concludes. “Through net positive outcomes, we ensure that the benefits derived from our integrated solutions outweigh the consumption of resources required to produce them, yielding benefits for our environment and society. Businesses can leverage this framework to consider the environmen- tal, social and economic opportunities of packaging, allowing them to steer suc- cess in addition to the P&L.” ■
26 ❙ MARCH – APRIL 2023
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