Page 34 - Packaging News magazine Jan-Feb 2022

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PLASTICS & BIOPLASTICS | www.packagingnews.com.au | January-February 2022
Sustainability the smart way
PKN speaks to Stephen Pratt, MD of Kurz Australia about the importance of driving sustainability forward in the packaging industry and taking a pioneering approach to do so.
PKN: WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY
AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY?
STEPHEN PRATT: On one hand, it’s essential to continue to exist on the market, but against the backdrop of climate change and CO2 reduction targets, companies risk their future by not investing in environmentally friendly solutions. On the other, there’s so much potential in the sus- tainable packaging market. In 2021, it was already valued at US$ 336.8 bil- lion. According to recent studies, the market will be worth US$ 631.1 bil- lion by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate of 10.3% (data: Market Research Future “Sustainable Packaging Market Overview”).
PKN: WHERE DOES THE PET SECTOR STAND REGARDING SUSTAINABILITY? SP: In my opinion, the PET sector is just beginning to tackle the important issues that will determine its future – such as the circular economy. Let’s look at the packaging industry, which
is often driven by cost pressure, price sensitivity, and at the same time, the necessity to deliver high-quality prod- ucts. Many manufacturers use PET laminates, because they are attrac- tive and functional. On the downside, the laminates can hardly be recycled. Many customers demand sustainable products though – and environmentally friendly packaging is a part of it. As a result, more and more manufacturers recognise the need to act sustainably.
PKN: IS THERE ENOUGH EFFORT TO DEVELOP A TRULY CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE INDUSTRY?
SP: I don’t think so. For that to happen, companies must realise sustainable management is not just a marketing gimmick but a matter of conviction. If you don’t truly commit to the idea of environmentally friendly production and transparent supply chain manage- ment, your customers will find out at some point. But I’m glad to observe a shift in the mindset, especially in the past few years – a transformation that
BELOW:
A watering can manufactured using Recopound as a recycled primary ingredient in the plastic moulding process.
comes from within. Still, there are multiple challenges we as an indus- try must overcome.
PKN: CAN YOU GIVE US
SOME EXAMPLES?
SP: Kurz has been working continu- ously on sustainable products in the past few decades. A specific solution, in which we invested a lot of time and effort, is Kurz Recosys, a world- first process that helps Kurz return PET residues from stamping transfer applications. It’s a pioneering concept that hits the industry’s most painful nerve: the effective and sustainable disposal and the material recycling of the carrier material. Today our customers accept it willingly, but things were different when we first launched a film return program back in 2010. The industry wasn’t ready yet: most customers were reluctant to send their films back and the pro- gram was hardly used.
PKN: WHY DID YOU KEEP PUSHING IT THEN?
SP: We were confident we were on the right path – even if we were ahead of our time. In 2018, the company decided to focus even more inten- sively on the issues of sustainability, recycling, and energy efficiency, and supported these efforts with the necessary staff capacities and invest- ment capital.
Among other things, we intensified our efforts to bring a new high-quality PET recycling product to life by fur- ther developing Recosys. The system converts recycled transfer film into Recopound pellets, which is used by injection moulders to extrude new products from the recycled PET. We had to adapt our formulas and pro- cesses time and again. But in the end, Recopound emerged as a genuine state-of-the-art material.
In summary, sustainability is time- consuming and costly – but it’s a worthy investment if your goal is to be a pioneer in your respective field andnotriskyourcompany’sfuture. ■
According to recent studies, the [sustainable packaging] market will be worth US$ 631.1 billion by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate of 10.3%.”