Sustainability now a condition of supplier quotes

Replacing plastic with paper feels like an obvious sustainability decision. But is it always the better one? I have been reading about the growing “paperisation” of packaging - the movement towards replacing plastic packaging with fibre-based alternatives. On the surface, the case appears straightforward: i. Paper is renewable. ii. Consumers understand how to recycle it. iii. It feels more environmentally responsible. iv. The reality is more complicated. Some paper packaging still requires a plastic coating to provide protection against moisture or contamination. That combination can make the final package more difficult to recycle. There are other questions too: i. Where did the fibre come from? ii. How much water and energy were used during production? iii. Will the packaging protect the product throughout transportation? iv. Can the available recycling system actually process it? This is why sustainable product decisions should not be reduced to choosing the material that appears greener. The better question is: Which option creates the lowest overall impact across sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, use and end of life? New technologies such as dry-moulded fibre could improve the equation by reducing water and energy requirements. But material substitution still needs evidence, infrastructure and lifecycle thinking - not assumptions. For me, this is also a data problem. Product teams need reliable information connecting material composition, suppliers, manufacturing, logistics and recovery systems before they can confidently call one option more sustainable. Have you seen examples where a seemingly sustainable material change created an unexpected trade-off? #SustainableProducts #CircularEconomy #ProductInnovation [INXPACK 62027082-01]

Two #PPWR regulations will shape the market for plastic packaging in future: recyclability and the use of recycled material in packaging. Starting with design. Article 6 introduces recyclability performance grades from A to C, based on how easily a piece of packaging can be separated, sorted and turned back into usable material. From 2030, only grades A to C may go to market at all, and by 2038 grade C drops out too, leaving only A and B. The exact thresholds and test methods still depend on delegated acts, but the direction is already clear enough to act on: products made from multiple materials, labels and components that are difficult to separate, and anything else that makes sorting more difficult will increasingly need to be replaced by more sustainable alternatives. ♻️📦 Another point regarding packaging: from January 2030, plastic packaging containing five percent or more plastic by weight will need a minimum share of post-consumer #recyclate, with targets ranging from 10 to 35 percent depending on the packaging type. 2030 still sounds distant, but supply chains for compliant material and verified design data take time to build. That is why now is the right time to have a closer look at your packaging design. You can always find more news about the PPWR in our blog at lizenzero.com. 📖

Is it time to stop using glue and labels on paper? EU packaging rules may force the question The BBC has highlighted a growing debate in European packaging circles: whether traditional glue‑on labels should give way to direct‑print, fibre‑integrated, or water‑soluble identification technologies. With the EU tightening rules on recyclability, packaging waste, and material separation, the humble paper label is suddenly a compliance talking point — and a design challenge. 📦 As EU packaging regulations continue to evolve, manufacturers are being pushed to rethink long‑standing conventions. Adhesives and laminated labels can complicate fibre recovery, contaminate recycling streams, and increase processing costs. In response, innovators are exploring glueless paper technologies, laser‑marking, embedded watermarking, and mono‑material packaging that simplify recycling and reduce waste. For compliance teams, sustainability leads, and packaging engineers, this is more than a technical tweak — it’s a strategic shift. The direction of travel is clear: design for recyclability, minimise composite materials, and ensure every component of packaging earns its place. The question is no longer “Can we keep using glue and labels?” but “Why would we, when cleaner, compliant alternatives are emerging?” 🔗 Full BBC article: https://lnkd.in/dDqpCP3J #PackagingInnovation #EURegulations #Sustainability #ProductCompliance #CircularEconomy #DesignForRecycling #PaperPackaging #EcoDesign #TQIF

As businesses continue to reduce plastic input across their supply chains, paper void fill is becoming an increasingly practical specification for protective packaging applications. By switching to recyclable void fill materials such as Hex-a-Fil, businesses can improve pack consistency, support sustainability targets, and deliver a cleaner, more controlled packaging experience. https://lnkd.in/edAjFhWV

July is Plastic Free July. For most brands, that means a logo turned green for 31 days. For Urban Factory, it means pointing at what's already in the product line — all year long: 🌿 Laptop bags and backpacks made from recycled PET bottles 🖱️ Mice built in r-PC recycled polycarbonate 🔋 Removable, replaceable batteries — swap, don't dispose ♻️ ISO 14001 certified manufacturing + EcoVadis-rated CSR performance This isn't a July campaign. It's product engineering — with certifications your procurement team can actually audit. As enterprises tighten sustainable sourcing requirements for H2, the question isn't whether eco-design matters. It's whether your suppliers can prove it. What does Plastic Free July look like inside your procurement policy — one month, or twelve? #PlasticFreeJuly #CorporateSocialResponsibility #EcoFriendly #GreenTech #SustainableProcurement #ITAccessories #UrbanFactoryIntl

Five per cent of the packaging’s weight determines its overall recyclability. 🌱 Stricter legal requirements are forcing printers and brand owners to fundamentally rethink the chemical composition of their packaging. Whether UV-curing inks contaminate the fibre mass, or water-based systems discolour the entire processing bath, some sustainable chemistry fails in everyday recycling. 🔬 The solution lies not in doing without, but in high-tech alternatives straight from the ink lab. From carbon-negative pigments produced by controlled pyrolysis to the precise control of bio-based oils on the press: innovative formulations prove that environmental responsibility and maximum press speeds are no longer a contradiction. Those who understand the molecular basis secure decisive competitive advantages on the shop floor. What is currently having the biggest impact on your sustainability strategy: new materials, smarter chemistry or more efficient production processes? Read more in our newest blog post: https://lnkd.in/e3imyAeG

Eco-modulated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees are changing the economics of packaging. Designs that support recycling are increasingly rewarded, while difficult-to-recycle materials and components can lead to higher compliance costs.

How Recycled Plastic Earns Its Trust The circular economy has a data problem: recycled resin has to perform identically to virgin material, and "trust me" isn't a specification. ISO 5677:2023 is the answer — a full battery of tests (melt flow, density, tensile and impact strength) that lets recycled PP and PE granules carry the same confidence as virgin plastic. ISO 6186:2023 measures something surprisingly under-discussed: how freely a powder or granule actually flows through a hopper, which determines whether an automated production line jams or runs. ISO 6721-6:2019 characterizes dynamic shear behavior across a frequency range — essential for anything that vibrates. And ISO/TS 28660:2022 generates fracture-toughness curves for ductile plastics, the kind of data that decides whether a part cracks under stress or bends. Recycled-material QA, process flow, mechanical behavior, and fracture resistance — the invisible science behind "sustainable plastics." Standards referenced: ISO 5677:2023 — https://lnkd.in/et9Fe-uX ISO 6186:2023 — https://lnkd.in/e6epJFGS ISO 6721-6:2019 — https://lnkd.in/edVz8SAW ISO/TS 28660:2022 — https://lnkd.in/exDjw8Wj

Plastic Free July gets the framing backwards for manufacturers. The campaign asks: how do we remove plastic? For a business, the question that actually matters is: does removing it lower our carbon footprint, or just move the problem somewhere less visible? These aren't the same question, and treating them as one leads to swaps that look good on a label and do nothing (or actively harm) on paper. Three examples where "plastic free" and "lower carbon" diverge: - Paper packaging. Paper often needs significantly more material by weight than plastic film to provide the same protection. Add in the water and energy intensity of pulp production, and a straightforward plastic-to-paper swap can land close to carbon neutral, sometimes worse, depending on the specific grade and weight involved. - Bioplastics. Some compostable or bio-based plastics carry heavier processing emissions than the conventional plastic they're replacing, particularly when industrial composting infrastructure isn't available locally and the material ends up in general waste anyway. "Plant-based" doesn't automatically mean lower impact. - Glass. Removing plastic in favour of glass often means removing lightness. Glass is heavier to transport, and for anything shipped any real distance, that added transport weight can outweigh the benefit of avoiding plastic entirely. Why this matters beyond July: None of this is an argument against reducing plastic. It's an argument against assuming. A genuine Life Cycle Assessment models the full picture, raw material extraction, production, transport, use, and end of life, so you can see whether a substitute actually reduces your footprint or just relocates it to a part of the supply chain nobody's measuring. This is also increasingly not optional. Under the EU's ESPR, environmental claims on products will need to be backed by verifiable data. A packaging swap that "feels" more sustainable but was never measured is exactly the kind of claim that gets challenged. Before you announce a plastic reduction this July, run the comparison. Not gut feel, an actual LCA against your specific packaging weights, materials, and shipping distances. Sometimes the plastic option is the lower carbon one. The only way to know is to measure both. Have you actually measured your plastic alternative against the material it's replacing, or is it still an assumption? #PlasticFreeJuly #LCA #Sustainability #EPD #ESPR #Below280

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 "𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲" 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗨𝗽 In 15+ years of manufacturing plastic sheets, I've noticed a pattern: the word "sustainable" gets used more often than it gets explained. Buyers hear it, assume it's verified, and move forward. But when you actually ask a follow-up question, most claims start to fall apart. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 A genuine claim can survive scrutiny. A marketing claim cannot. The difference isn't in how confidently a supplier says "sustainable" — it's in how specifically they can answer when you push back. 𝟱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗸 Before trusting a sustainability claim from any plastic sheet supplier, ask: 1️⃣ 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 — What percentage of recycled material is actually in this product? 2️⃣ 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 — Can you share third-party certification, not just a claim? 3️⃣ 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 — Is the material traceable back to its source? 4️⃣ 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 — Does recycled content affect strength, clarity, or UV performance? 5️⃣ 𝙀𝙣𝙙-𝙤𝙛-𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 — What happens to this product once it's no longer in use? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 None of these questions are difficult to answer — if the supplier is being transparent. If they are, you'll get clear numbers, verifiable documents, and straight answers. If they're not, you'll get reassurance instead of evidence. Swipe through for the full breakdown of each question 👉 . . . #Leadership #Sustainability #PlasticManufacturing #IndianManufacturing #B2BManufacturing #IndustryInsights #MGGroupOfIndustries #SustainableManufacturing #ThoughtLeadership