Page 18 - Packaging News Magazine Sep-Oct 2019

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PRINT21 + PKN LIVE
www.packagingnews.com.au
September-October 2019
“Brands that best respond to the evolution in customers’ needs will stand to dominate,” he said. “Even companies thought to be too big to fail have failed when they didn’t keep up.”
Haggett predicted that unique codes will end up on every single pack, and took heart in seeing a giant like Tetra Pak (see above) pledging unique fingerprints on all of its billions of containers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Brands need to be relevant, convenient, and timely to engage consumers.
• Unique codes should, and will, be
used on all packaging.
• Packaging printers should learn
from commercial printers on the use of variable data – personalisation is the future of customer experience.
COMING FULL CIRCLE
Brooke Donnelly, CEO of the Austra- lian Packaging Covenant Organisa- tion, urged guests to move towards a circular economy and eliminate the word “waste” from their thinking.
“In a circular economy, we don’t have waste. It becomes something else – part of a reuse model, where it has a second life; or it’s recycled into something different; or it’s composted,” she said.
In her presentation, Donnelly gave an overview of the 2025 packaging targets – 100 per cent of packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025; 70 per cent of plastic pack recycled or composted; and 30 per cent average recycled content across
BELOW: Rising stars: Wayne Robinson, Print21 and PKN (left) talks to Matt Ellis, Luminar (centre) and Aaron Lusch, Platypus Print Packaging.
BOTTOM: EFI sponsored networking drinks after the forum.
all packaging – and how government and industry are working together to embrace a circular economic model.
According to Donnelly, sustainabil- ity and profit are not mutually exclu- sive – in fact, they go hand in hand.
“Sustainability is about meeting not only your environmental, social and cultural imperatives, it’s about meeting economic requirements.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• The circular economy requires thinking of waste as a resource.
• Sustainability is not about demonis-
ing plastic, but rather using it where it is needed and making sure it is not wasted at end of life.
• A collective effort is needed to cre- ate true circularity.
SOLVING SUSTAINABILITY
Following Donnelly’s presentation, she joined Lindy Hughson; Aleks La- jovic of Impact International; David Martin, CEO of Spicers; Fred Soar of Soar Print; and Jack Malki of Jet Tech- nologies for a panel on how these companies are meeting their sustain- ability challenges.
Donnelly warned that, despite Australia’s sustainability framework being a world leader, there is no silver bullet; packagers must think about a product’s life cycle, how it functions, and what it will become at end of life.
“It’s not about flicking a switch and making all these changes overnight and going for the easy solution,” she said.
Martin discussed opportunities in replacing plastic packaging with fibre, but stressed that paper-based solu- tions are better for some applications – polystyrene clamshell packs, for ex- ample – than others like transparent plastic bottles.
“It’s an opportunity for the right rea- sons – if we target the right applica- tions we can bring those opportuni- ties,” he said.
Malki brought up new plastic products which contain enzymes that cause them to degrade up to 70 per cent within two years.
“While we don’t really see a recy- cling option in the near future, our fo- cus is on what we can do about plastics in the near term. These are solutions we can all implement today – not in 2025, not in 2050, and I see that as a good thing to be promoting,” he said.
Soar said that customers are be- coming aware of their carbon foot- print, and want to feel like they’re doing something; he added that car- bon taxes are a positive step.
“It’s coming back to awareness from consumers, and there’s going to be regulatory action in New Zealand at some stage,” he said.
Lajovic, whose company has devel- oped sustainable plastic tubes made from sugar cane – the growth of which offsets the carbon used to produce the plastic – added that people want to make a positive step, but are worried about perverse outcomes.
“We’re trying to help customers walk through the correct channels and make sure their good intentions don’t have a bad result.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Sustainability must be strategic – there are no silver bullets.
• Standard plastics can be replaced by more sustainable options, de- pending upon applications.
• Customer demand is driving the push to sustainable packaging.
FRESH BLOOD, FRESH IDEAS
The last session of the day saw Wayne Robinson, editor of Print21 and asso- ciate editor of PKN, speak with Matt Ellis, MD of Luminar, and Aaron Lusch, GM of Platypus Print Packag- ing – two young innovators who have helped transform their businesses.
Ellis discussed how Luminar – for- merly Avonlea Labels – had branched out into flexible packaging with digi- tal print technology.
“We were solving a lot of prob- lems, especially for SMEs who want- ed to venture out of rigid packaging and labels into flexibles,” he said. “I see a positive future for digital labels and flexible packaging.”
He also exhorted brands to think outside the square and welcome dis- comfort. “Don’t stay in your box, welcome new things,” he said.
Lusch, meanwhile, spoke about how the Platypus packaging business actu- ally ended up quadrupling after a big customer pulled out, initially costing them 35 to 40 per cent of their business.
“We’re actually a stronger and bet- ter business for having gone through it,” he said, adding that the Platypus motto is “there’s always a way”.
“Through the tough times, don’t give up,” he told guests.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Digitally printed labels and flexi- bles are growing.
• Businesses should not be afraid to try new things.
• Don’t give up when faced with ad- versity – find a way around. ■