In an announcement, packaging firm DS Smith said it has replaced over 313 million pieces of plastic in the last two years. The plastic packaging has been redesigned as a part of the company’s plastic replacement scheme, which aims to switch to more sustainable solutions.
According to DS Smith, the plastic replaced equates to more than three million units of plastic per week and demonstrates the consumer demand for fibre-based packaging over hard-to-recycle plastics.
Working alongside customers, DS Smith’s designers have created plastic replacements for everyday items such as ready-meal trays, plastic fruit and vegetable punnets, and plastic six-pack rings.
DS Smith found in a recent survey that four out of ten consumers desired packaging made from alternative renewable sources. In a separate survey, British consumers said they aimed to purchase products that contained less plastic in order to improve recycling rates in the UK.
Sustainability Business Partner of DS Smith, Samantha Upham, commented: “With our help, customers are accelerating their ambitions to remove problem plastics from their products.
“All 700 of our designers have been trained in our Circular Design Principles, which means we can design out problem plastics at inception stage and find alternative fibre-based solutions which deliver the required attributes.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.