“Many customers are aware of their carbon footprint and are already working to reduce it. So some tell me: no plastic, I don’t want to see plastic, only paper,” explains Raphaël Bodaire, commercial director of Raja, the largest packaging distributor in Europe. “They not only know the laws, but they are also sensitive to the environment and their impact on it. »

This French company markets 1,200 different shapes of boxes intended for large and small companies to ship their products, as well as the equipment that accompanies them: tape, bubble wrap, cling film, boxes, etc.

These days, French and European rules and regulations are pushing the packaging industry to go green, which was evident at a recent trade show where Raja and other companies were showcasing their products – at less than a third highlighted their sustainability credentials.

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The Lebhar Group, a small French company that produces paper-based food packaging, primarily for bakeries, was introducing an all-paper cake board – the card underneath a cake or pastry that makes it easier to lift and transport.

“In the world of baking, these boards are most often lined with plastic, because they protect against grease and humidity,” explains sales manager Frédérique Monge. “No one wants grease stains on their pastry boxes or display cases.”

A few years ago, the company developed an all-paper version, which can serve as a moisture barrier. But this has its limits, especially in terms of its appearance.

Pastry chefs, especially in high-end bakeries, like to use shiny gold or black cake boards, which currently cannot be made without plastic wrap. “The plastic-free solution does not allow this kind of decoration,” explains Monge. “It’s a more natural material, brown or white in color, and not shiny. It’s less elegant.”

The company therefore continues to offer both products. Packaging companies generally aim to offer multiple solutions to meet the wide range of customer needs and desires, which are informed by their own environmental consciousness, as well as their awareness of changing laws and impending bans.

Rules and Regulations

In order to reduce wasteFrance intends to gradually eliminate single-use packaging by 2040, pushing companies to reduce the quantity of material in their packaging, switch to reusable containers or move towards recyclable or compostable materials.

France produces 2.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging per yearabout half of which comes from households and the other half from industry.

A 2015 law gradually limited single-use plastic food packaging, banning, among other things, plastic straws and takeout containers.

The 2021 Anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC) has expanded this ambition and aims to phase out all single-use plastic packaging by 2040, with an initial target of reducing it by 20% by 2025.

The EU position

However, the legal situation has created some confusion in the sector. “For the moment it is not clear, because things are going in all directions,” said François-Xavier Franssen, commercial director of FDR Emballages, which makes plastic-free packaging.

In addition to French laws and regulations, there are rules from the European Union, which seeks to reduce waste across the continent.

The updated EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into force in February and aims to harmonize packaging requirements across all member states, with a goal of 100% of packaging recyclable by 2030.

FDR makes a compostable plastic film, originally developed 10 years ago and marketed to organic stores who used it to add clear windows to their paper bags.

Recent years have seen growing interest – notably at the end of 2021, on the eve of a ban on plastic packaging for loose fruit and vegetables in supermarkets. “We then received urgent calls to replace the plastic packaging,” Franssen recalls.

Cost factor

Although there has been a trend toward reducing and recycling packaging, today it is difficult to imagine a world where single-use plastics disappear completely.

FDR’s compostable cling film is more expensive than its petroleum-based alternative, and while some customers are willing to pay more, until petroleum taxes increase, Franssen says the cost will remain prohibitive for some.

Plus, his product doesn’t work for everything – yet. “We don’t have an equivalent for certain things, like chicory,” he explains. “It’s very problematic for keeping the freshness of the products. They produce a lot of water and are very sensitive to air and light.”

Greenwashing

Beyond the law, companies themselves are increasingly aware of the need to reduce their waste and consumers are demanding products with less environmental impact.

“Very often, consumer expectations evolve faster than regulations, and this is what we have seen in organic farming,” explains Emilie Cherhal, general director of Ecocert Greenlife, which issues certifications for organic products. .

“Regulation is an option because it pushes industries to really rethink their models,” she said, adding, however, that consumer expectations can be an equally powerful motivator, even if they want to benefit from the assurance that certification provides.

“Today, anyone can say anything about eco-responsibility, sustainability – they can use these words,” said Cherhal, who believes that certifications, such as those provided by Ecocert, help to avoid greenwashing.

Ecocert recently affiliated with RecyClass, a European certification which assesses the recyclability of packaging, with grades ranging from A to F. Cherhal says: “It is a guarantee for the consumer that if it is certified, they can be sure that the environmental impact is less.”

More information on this story in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 118 here.