Key actions for tackling flexible packaging in a circular economy

Exhaustively identify and action opportunities for direct elimination (on average estimated at ∼5-10% of flexibles portfolios), taking inspiration from existing case examples

Embed a critical assessment of the need for flexible packaging in all new product development processes (∼5-10% of those considered are likely to be unnecessary)

Align on priority items to eliminate within sectors (e.g. personal care, clothing, fruit and vegetables) to drive up the ambition level across the entire industry.

Introduce a high-priority and well-resourced R&D agenda to make upstream innovation the major component of every flexibles strategy — acknowledging that existing efforts are well below where they can and need to be

Set-up sector specific collaborative initiatives with specific objectives (such as facilitating roll out of an existing innovation or answering a key questions for a more nascent solution)

Create a supportive policy landscape for innovation (e.g. introduce subsidies, bans, epr)

For applications supporting the collection of food waste or addressing existing contamination in composting systems: implement compostable materials

Before pursuing compostables as a broader strategy for flexibles: demonstrate the mechanisms that would need to be in place to prevent contamination of both the composting and recycling systems

Define and implement best practices for composting of food waste and align compostable packaging standards with this

Roll out collection and composting infrastructure for food and organics

For your organisation’s entire paper-based packaging portfolio, put in place a robust reduction, virgin reduction and regenerative sourcing strategy

Improve paper packaging design so that all paper-based packaging fits into both recycling and composting systems

Businesses with paper-based flexibles in their portfolio, national governments, municipalities, recyclers, and financial institutions to collectively identify and then implement actions to improve the capture and recycling rate of paper-based flexibles. Although the recycling rate of paper is higher on average than for plastics, high-quality recycling of B2C paper flexibles is still quite low, particularly for food-contact paper packaging and needs to markedly increase. How EPR fees can be used to achieve this should be a core part of the discussion, as should how to ensure that any system put in place is inclusive.

Radically improve packaging design, in particular, shift to monomaterials for the >40% of flexibles that are currently multi-material

Set separate recycling targets for flexibles (e.g. in europe the 2030 targets need to be revisited)

Increase EPR fees for flexibles (e.g. in europe, fees of ~eur 1,100 are a good estimate of what may be required)

Expand collection of flexibles for recycling (e.g. in europe >40% of the population do not have access to separate collection for flexibles)

Invest in infrastructure (e.g. >eur 2 billion in the case of europe)

Radically improve packaging design, in particular, shift to monomaterials for the >40% of flexibles that are currently multi-material

Establish an inclusive process, gathering data on existing structures and processes and identifying informal sector organisations to work with

Finance improvements in infrastructure, tech and tools through large infrastructure investments and microfinancing for the informal sector

Roll out holistic waste management legislation, including inclusive epr legislation