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The growing importance of lightweight packaging

15 July 2021

Eco Flexibles, a sustainable flexible packaging business, has shared insight on the importance of weight in packaging as the shift towards lighter substrates continues. 

The business, which supports brands, packers and retailers making the switch from mixed-plastic flexible packaging to recyclable alternatives, believes that packaging weight will become one of the leading reasons that brands switch to monopolymers. 

Simon Buswell, director at Eco Flexibles, comments: “There is a clear trend in the flexible packaging market to switch from mixed plastics to recyclable monopolymers. The fact the resulting packs tend to be lower in weight has usually been more of a bonus – enhanced recyclability is front and centre of the move.

“Where this is changing is that brands are seeing their Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy as a much wider and more connected process. Transportation, for example, has an important part to play today in corporate sustainability strategy. The multilayer mixed plastic packaging that is so common tends to be heavier than its monopolymer counterpart. At the volumes and prices we are looking at today, and for the foreseeable future, this adds unwanted cost and CO2 output during logistics and handling at a time when the rest of the industry is moving towards carbon zero targets. We are expecting the lighter weight of monopolymer packaging, such as the range of films, skins and pouches, to become priority number one for brands and retailers.”

Simon added: “Brands will be focusing on weight as its own distinct factor in packaging. What brands don’t want is to switch to lightweight packaging alternatives to then find compromised performance, unexpected regulatory difficulties, or inconsistent supply.”

To find out more about Eco Flexibles, please visit www.ecoflexibles.com


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