Convenience moves from fad to trend

What major regulatory developments are expected in 2014 that affect convenience packaging in Europe?

2014 is proving to be a cornerstone year for waste policy in the European Union. A huge amount of work on various waste-related topics was done by the European Commission in 2013 to prepare for the 2014 revision of EU waste policy, the last chapter of Mr Janez Potocnik's 4-year term as EU Commissioner for the Environment.

New legislation will tackle, in particular, the issue of plastics waste in the environment, marine litter, EU reuse and recycling targets, extended producer responsibility and food waste.

The plastic bags debate

The controversial proposed directive on reduction of lightweight plastics carrier bags, published in late-2013, is the European Commission's first proposal targeting a specific packaging item. The text is being examined by the European Parliament and the EU Member States, who share the decisional power on the adoption of EU legislation.

Once the directive is approved, it will be the first time the EU allows its Member States to discriminate against (and even go as far as banning) a packaging item satisfying the requirements of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. This is a dangerous precedent that may be extended to other packs in the future.

Reducing the amount of single-use plastics bags and promoting use of reusable bags makes sense in many contexts. However, Pack2Go Europe is of the opinion that an exemption is required for single-use bags when they are used to guarantee food hygiene and consumer safety. This is the case, for example, for take-away food sold for immediate consumption by quick service restaurants, convenience food stores and the like. The contamination risks of reusable bags clearly make them inappropriate in these specific contexts.

Pack2Go Europe thinks that restricting certain products will not solve the problem of littering, which is caused by accidental, careless or deliberate action by citizens and inadequacies or failures in the waste collection and management systems.

Is there any EU policy that will affect innovation in convenience packaging in the short term?

With the price of traditional energy and raw materials expected to continue upwards in the coming decades, the EU is focusing its policy around the concept of "circular economy". The objective is to prevent resources from being wasted and to give a second life to products, through the promotion of reuse, recycling and, as a last resort solution, incineration with energy recovery. It is now clear that land filling will be gradually phased out in the EU.

Sorting, collection and management of household waste has reached very high performance levels in many EU Member States. The real challenge in these countries is now to reach similar results with out-of-home collection of waste. Not easy.

It remains to be seen how the convenience packaging industry will be able to adapt to these important trends. Packaging intended to be used in contact with food, by definition, needs to ensure high levels of hygiene and consumer safety. Using secondary raw materials in some situations is simply not a solution.

What do you see as the main growth opportunities for your members?

People's lifestyles are becoming more and more active. Consumers now expect a wide range of nutritious, healthy food options for easy consumption when it suits those best - at work, on-the-move or when they get home. This continued trend makes convenience packaging for out-of-home and on-the-go meal options an essential part of modern life.

The foodservice sector in Europe serves 67 billion meals per year and this figure is growing at a rate of about 10% per year. Data shows that 72% of adults eat out-of-home every week. The travel sector - representing about 11% of the foodservice market - is growing 3 to 4% annually. Finally, demographics and traditional dining habits have radically changed. Single use convenience packs are adapted to individuals and the smaller family units that are common across Europe today, thereby reducing food waste. There are many opportunities for innovative packaging that addresses these drivers.

What are the greatest threats?

Regulation

Ill-considered government policy tackle plastics waste in the environment and littering. Single-use packs are indispensable to modern life but often villainised by politicians. The future regulatory landscape could represent a real challenge for packaging manufacturers and packer fillers.

Reducing litter in our streets, countryside and seas is of course vital, but the approach taken by the Commission in some situations (such as the proposal allowing members states to ban plastic carrier bags) is not the way to go. More should be done to change consumer behaviour and to improve the infrastructure in place to collect used products.

No level playing field?

Pack2Go Europe members have identified another serious threat to the convenience packaging industry in the EU: packaging imports from China and elsewhere that don't meet Europe's stringent standards. This phenomenon may present health and safety risks for European consumers.

"In Europe we expect our packaging to be manufactured to the highest levels of safety and quality. Pack2Go Europe companies deliver every day in that regard," says Eamonn Bates, Secretary General of Pack2Go Europe. "But national market surveillance organisations and customs services don't adequately check imports from outside the EU and all too often distributors don't do enough to ensure the products they import respect the law."

A survey of its members carried out by Pack2Go Europe shows that 87% of respondents reported experiencing loss in market share in the past that can be directly attributed to cheaper imports which may not be meeting the EU's demanding standards. It's all very well to keep piling regulatory demands onto packaging made in Europe but if we don't demand the same of imports then consumers are not protected, says the current Pack2Go Europe President, Jan Schuermann.

If you could see any development take place instantly, what would it be and why?

Pack2Go Europe would like to see a better understanding by policy makers of the key benefits delivered by packaging. Today's active lifestyles simply would not be feasible without convenience packaging, which ensures hygiene and consumer safety into the bargain. Packaging is not the enemy, it's an ally.

The food, not the package

The environmental impact of food production and distribution is far higher than packaging; production and transport of packaging accounts for only 10% of the total impact on the environment (from farm to consumer) of one person's weekly consumption of food. Therefore, only about 10% of the energy needed to put food on our tables is used up in the packaging element.

The European Commission estimates that annual food waste in the EU is 179kg per capita. Food waste would be much higher without packaging which preserves and protects.