Paper packaging continues to grow at an impressive rate. From our daily snacks to our daily medicine, paper and cardboard continue to make an impact globally, popping up in recyclable and sustainable packaging. Since our last update, several companies are increasing their commitment to paper packaging while others are in the early stages of pushing the perceived boundaries of paper and cardboard. Here is a look at what has been happening around the world.
Greener Games:
In January, Sega Europe, the international branch of Sega, the Japanese multinational video game developer and publisher, announced it will no longer use plastic packaging on its physical games and is replacing it with recycled and recyclable cardboard. According to Gameindustry.biz, this follows the news that a subsidiary of Sega, Sports Interactive, would be using specially designed cardboard cases to replace the standard DVD case for their Football Manager 2020 game.
Beginning November 2019, every future installment in the series will come in a cardboard sleeve made from 100% recycled cardboard. Sega’s new packaging change begins with Total War: Rome II’s upcoming Enemy at the Games Edition. It will expand to all of Sega Europe’s PC titles and those shipped globally and include other subsidiaries such as Relic, Two Point, Creative Assembly and Amplitude Studios.
Nestlé expands paper presence:
Following the news this past summer that its Japanese subsidiary announced it was introducing recyclable paper packaging for its KitKat products, Nestlé has announced it is introducing a second product going the way of paper packaging. Nesquik All Natural powder will be released in a recyclable paper pouch certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The company launched its YES! bars in a recyclable paper last July. This continues the company’s commitment to making its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
New packaging in New Zealand:
Like Nestlé, Mondelēz International, a global snack company, is committed to making all their packaging recyclable by 2025. In line with their strategy to deliver zero-net waste packaging, the company launched its Cadbury Energy bar in New Zealand in December with new packaging made from 100% recyclable and sustainably sourced paper. According to Confectionary News, “[I]t is the first time the company has used a paper material that doesn’t include laminates, foils or plastics for fully-sealed flow-wrap packaging.” That’s right, only paper.
Cheers to cardboard:
Absolut, L’Oréal and the Coca-Cola company are joining Danish beer maker Carlsberg in considering cardboard for containing their liquids. According to an article in Forbes, the beer maker, who has worked with the Paper Bottle Company since 2015, presented two new prototypes for their paper beer bottle at the C40 summit in October. Elizabeth Rushe, a contributor to Forbes wrote, "though attendees were served the Danish beer from the prototype paper bottles at the summit, the final product is still not quite ready for consumers.” Rushe continued, “stocking your fridge with paper bottles of beer could still be one to two years away," according to Myriam Shingleton, vice president of group development at Carlsberg Group.
Prescribing paper:
Sonoco Alloyd introduced an all-paper retail blister package as an alternative to the existing thermoformed plastic blister package. According to the company, the new EnviroSense PaperBlister package is recyclable in the paper stream, certified with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and delivers more efficiency than the traditional plastic blister packs, which requires three times more shipping cartons.
These are just a few of the companies making strides to become more environmentally friendly, and we look forward to highlighting more of the innovative paper solutions created to meet corporate sustainability goals. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates!
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