In an article published on August 8, 2017 by news provider Food Dive, Pierre-François Thaler, co-founder and co-CEO of sustainability ratings company EcoVadis, discussed different aspects and advantages of sustainable packaging. Responding to growing consumer demands, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have started “to rethink their sustainability efforts, starting with packaging — from increasing the use of recycled materials to reducing the amount of packaging altogether,” Thaler explained. One example is the Coca-Cola Company’s plant-based and recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle (FPF reported). Thaler further noted that the food and beverage packaging industry will continue to be challenged by pushes from legislators and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for increased sustainability and waste reduction. “A commitment to sustainable practices is a commitment to ensuring compliance in each step of the package’s life cycle, which is only done with full visibility of every step of the process,” he stressed. Another important aspect in achieving sustainable practices is collaboration along the supply chain. With the emergence of alternative, more sustainable packaging materials, existing processes and recovery channels are challenged. “These changes should not be seen as threats, but instead be embraced so that the advancements can allow for implementation of more sustainable practices for the overall improvement of the industry,” Thaler advised. He concluded that companies implementing sustainable packaging initiatives gain competitive advantage “which only encourages the rest of the industry to keep up.”

Chemical contamination of food packaging, e.g. from using recycled materials, was not mentioned in the article.

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Pierre-François Thaler (August 8, 2017). “The 3 Cs of sustainable packaging: Compliance, commitment and collaboration.Food Dive

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