Packaging Innovation is celebrating a record breaking year with over 6,922 visitors, attending the exhibition at the Birmingham’s NEC.
With experts from Coca-Cola, Marks & Spencer, Iceland and Co-op taking to the stage to address the issue and reflect on the progress made by brands over the last 12 months, sustainability was at the top of the agenda for both exhibitors and speakers.
Ian Schofield, Own Label & Packaging Manager at Iceland, reflected on the pledge the company made last year to remove plastics from its own brand packaging by 2023.
“We have been successful in finding alternative materials over the last 12 months and have developed plans to replace plastic across a vast range of products. However, with some of these materials costing between three and 10 times more than their plastic counterparts, cost remains one of the biggest challenges in our mission to create plastic-free packaging.”
The Big Plastics Debate, built on the groundwork laid at last year’s show and featured some of the brightest minds in the industry.
On day one an expert line-up debated ‘plastic will always be fundamental to our everyday lives’, with cases made for both sides of the argument.
Speaking for the motion, Barry Turner, Plastic and Flexible Packaging Group Director at British Plastics Federation, commented: “The real issue is how we behave with plastic. Consistent collection and an aided circular economy will ensure that we are using this resource responsibly. We have to cherish plastic and put it back to work.”
On the other side of the debate, Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet, argued: “91 per cent of plastic ever made has never been recycled. All the noise and concern over recycling has made no difference to the acceleration of plastic production. When our children have children, they will be dealing with triple the amount of plastic on the planet. Something needs to change.”
via shutterstock
New for 2019 and hosted by A Plastic Planet, the show also featured the Plastic Free Aisle. The spectacle showcased supermarket shelves stocked with the latest innovations in food packaging made from alternatives to plastics.
Many exhibitors also chose to launch their latest products live on the show floor. Highlights included: Charpak introducing its brand-new 100 per cent recyclable Twist-Loc plastic tub with integrated twist-and-lock mechanism; Macpac presenting its revolutionary new Breakdown PET material; and Ampacet showcasing its REC-NIR-BLACK masterbatch solutions for automated sorting of black plastic at recycling centres.
Paul Smith, Managing Director, Charpak, said: “The show this year has been an overwhelming success for us. Launching a new product and sponsoring the Ecopack Stage has given us a great opportunity to join the conversation on plastics. With more leads this year than ever before, we have had our busiest show to date and have already booked our space for next year.”