Green food packaging starts from "I"

2021-10-20

Food packaging is an indispensable part of the food on sale. Food packaging in different countries and different historical periods is different, especially in ancient times, so is cosmetics packaging. Before plastics were manufactured, they were all very green and environmentally friendly packaging. Back in the old days, people used plant leaves, animal skins, burlap bags, oiled paper, clay pots, iron pipes, etc. to store food for storage or convenient carrying. Gradually, with the development of science and technology, food & makeup packaging materials have also undergone earth-shaking changes. The use of plastics and the advancement of packaging and printing technology have made food packaging in various forms. What changes are there in food packaging today, and what trends will it take in the future?

Recently, the 2021 Food and Cosmetic Packaging Green Development Forum was successfully held in China. The theme of this conference is "Focus on the Frontiers of Food and Cosmetic Packaging|Promoting Sustainable Development of Green Packaging". This theme conveys to us the concept of "green packaging" and promotes the sustainable development of the packaging industry.

It is understood that China is the world's largest packaging manufacturing and consumer country. The proportion of plastic packaging in the total output value of the packaging industry has exceeded 30%, ranking second only to paper packaging, and has been in a steady growth trend. Although with the advancement of science and technology, plastic packaging that can be explained has appeared, most of the plastic packaging is not degradable and has a huge impact on the environment. Plastics play an irreplaceable role in various fields of food, beverage and industrial and agricultural production due to their advantages of good plasticity and good insulation. On the food shelves of the supermarket, at a glance, they are filled with plastic packaging. According to Spanish media reports, since 2023, supermarkets and grocery stores in Spain will ban the sale of plastic-packaged fruits and vegetables. Environmental organizations in Spain and abroad, including Greenpeace, have been carrying out actions for many years to prevent grocers and large supermarkets from wrapping fresh products with layers of plastic.

In recent years, green packaging and plastic bans have been promoted both at home and abroad, with little success in the short term. However, through the continuous publicity and guidance of the government and environmentalists, green packaging is widely accepted by people. There are multiple understandings of green packaging:

1. Implement packaging reduction.

2. Reuse packaging (PCR recycled plastic, metal packaging)

3. Packaging waste is degradable. (PLA packaging)

4. Packaging materials should be non-toxic and harmless to humans and organisms.

5. The packaging adopts green environmental protection and renewable source materials (corn stalk, sugar cane)

6. During the entire life cycle of packaged products, there should be no environmental pollution or public hazards. In the food packaging industry, we try our best to make packaging materials degradable or recyclable.

Lisson Packaging has been leading the development of green food packaging. It has successively introduced PCR (Post-consumer recycled material) Plastic Tubes, Sugarcane Bio plastic Tubes, and 100% recyclable pure aluminum tubes. It can be used for packaging of food, medicine and cosmetics.

"Global Green Buying Report 2021", which surveyed more than 15,000 participants in Europe, North America and South America to understand their behaviors related to sustainable packaging, including their willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly packaging, and Perception of different packaging materials. At present, the more popular "green packaging" in the domestic and foreign markets mainly include degradable plastic packaging, biological packaging materials, and paper packaging. For example, the United States further polymerizes lactic acid to make biodegradable plastics; Italy uses corn starch to produce biodegradable plastics.

The development of biodegradable plastics in China is also very fast, such as food containers made of potato, corn and other starches, and "light-biological double-degradable" plastics, but the market share is not high. At present, the cost of biodegradable plastic packaging materials is higher than that of ordinary plastics. Many companies worry that price increases will reduce consumers' desire to consume. But most market research shows that consumers are willing to pay more for environmental protection.

Nowadays, the development of food packaging towards green and environmental protection has become a trend, and packaging materials have also entered a period of rapid "renewal and iteration". The use of biodegradable food packaging materials not only helps to alleviate the problem of food packaging pollution, but also gives traditional packaging materials more functions, which is a choice for the sustainable development of enterprises and society.