Sustainable packaging is red-hot news at the moment, as more and more consumers worldwide become aware of the negative impact of some plastics on the planet we all share.

The essential and unrelenting push towards eco-friendly packaging is especially significant to the global food and beverage industry, worth a staggering $7,221.743 billion in 2023. Its importance has just been neatly exemplified by the decision of American multi-national snack, food and drink corporation PepsiCo – who own more than 20 world-famous brands – to trial paper-based, sustainable packaging in the UK for their universally Walkers Crisps brand.

This revolutionary move by PepsiCo is part of its £14million investment programme into sustainable packaging for its Walkers brand, in a commitment to eradicate 250 tonnes of virgin plastic from its entire supply chain, each year. This is with a view to eliminating its usage of virgin plastic altogether, across Europe, by 2030. These figures represent a 40% year-on-year reduction in fossil-fuel based virgin plastic production, which will also cut PepsiCo’s annual carbon emissions by 465 tonnes.

PepsiCo’s new paper-based outer packaging across its Walkers Baked multipacks is a first for the UK savoury snacks market, and the trials packs, replacing plastic outer wrapping and launched across more than 800 Tesco stores on Wednesday 1st March, will be widely and easily recyclable. At the end of the trial period, consumer feedback on both the design and functionality of the packaging – which has been in development for more than two years – will be gathered and evaluated, to further inform and shape the company’s future sustainability strategies and goals.

Virgin plastic 

Virgin plastic is a resin produced using natural gas or crude oil, and does not contain any recycled materials. It is able to withstand high temperatures and pressure due to its robust molecular structure. The production of virgin plastic, however, relies significantly on fossil fuels, and this is forcing plastics manufacturers and their customers, such as PepsiCo and other major food and beverage corporations, to begin phasing out its usage in earnest, in order to meet pressing environmental goals and deadlines.

Post-consumer recycled plastic

Whereas post-consumer recycled plastic falls a little short in overall quality when compared to virgin plastic, it does have a host of cost and environmental benefits, such as the reduction in the use of fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions, lower production costs and a significant diminution of plastic waste at landfill sites.

Big brand commitment

Aside from PepsiCo pledging to use 100% recycled or renewable content in all crisp and other snack packets Europe-wide by 2030, other big global brands are also throwing their weight behind the drive to create and establish sustainable packaging alternatives for the food and beverage industry.

The Coca-Cola Company, the world’s number one beverage brand, has recently published its “World Without Waste” goal, through which it aims to collect a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030. This ambitious initiative rests on three core pillars:

* design: to make all primary consumer packaging recyclable by 2025. Use 50% recycled material in all of its packaging by 2030.

* collect: collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one sold by 2030.

* partner: bring people around the world together to support a healthy, debris-free environment.

Leading electronics manufacturer Logitech has recently confirmed that more than 65% of its keyboard and mouse units contain post-consumer recycled plastic, thus significantly exceeding its commitment of 50%, made in 2020. This notable achievement has had the knock-on effect of reducing the company’s carbon impact and leading Logitech closer towards a fully circular business model. From its ‘Design for Sustainability’ initiatives, the company has eliminated approximately 8,000 tons of virgin plastic from its products; equivalent to 19,000 tons of CO2 saved across product lifecycle, which further equates to an average passenger vehicle driving 1,740 times around the Earth.

Turner & Coates – working to help create a better, healthier environment for future generations!

Manufacturing organisations around the world need to become cleaner, leaner and greener in their day-to-day operations, processes and production methods, as the drive towards carbon neutrality, across all industries, gains ever-increasing momentum.

As one of the world’s longest-established and most tried-and-trusted inspection and expediting companies serving global industry, Turner & Coates can help companies operating in a broad range of industries and sectors, to work towards a cleaner, greener tomorrow. And, as you would expect from a business that benefits from such wide experience and long-standing customer relationships, we are comfortable working across a diverse range of projects – at any point along the supply chain – and in a wide variety of different international languages, helping you comply with your environmental responsibilities in a straightforward, hassle-free and timely manner.

If your company is looking to drive its sustainability projects, and work towards reduced fossil-fuel emissions and, eventually, net zero, then we can help. Our approach to each project we are contracted to undertake is both comprehensive and unerringly thorough.

We are fielding an increasing number of enquiries and visit requests from companies, with specific regard to both sustainable practices and environmental responsibility. Thanks to our worldwide network of high-calibre, professional engineers, assessors and auditors, we can provide detailed, systematic inspection and expediting services, wherever you – or your suppliers – are based. Helping companies everywhere looking to install new equipment in support of their sustainability drives and pledges, through first-class inspection, supplier evaluation, expediting (vendor surveillance) and testing services.

Furthermore, Turner & Coates can help companies open up clearer pathways to better sustainable practices, by delivering proven expertise, consultancy and auditing services across the world’s major environmental management systems, including ISO 14001.

ISO 14001 – helping global industry to act responsibly

Verifiable excellence in environmental management is a legal duty of today’s businesses, factories or plants, regardless of the industries or geographical regions in which they operate.

Part of the ISO 14000 family of Environmental Management standards, ISO 14001 exists to help companies and organisations across the globe to realise and maintain their ‘green’ missions and obligations, whilst minimising the ecological impact of their day-to-day working practices and procedures.

Similar to ISO 9000 family of Quality Management standards – in that it applies to a business as a whole rather than to the product itself – ISO 14001 helps businesses worldwide to respond positively, decisively and effectively to changing environmental conditions, in balance with pressing socio-economic needs.

The single biggest environmental management standard worldwide, ISO 14001 provides your business with a fully systematic approach to achieving responsibility and demonstrable control in this all-important area, in order to build long-term success and contribute to sustainable development.

Devised to follow the established ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ methodology of the ISO 9001 standard, ISO 14001 actively encourages and stimulates positive, productive communication with all parties concerned including employees, contractors, neighbours and regulatory authorities. Moreover, the basis of ISO 14001 has been used as the framework for other industry-specific standards, such as the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Management System (RCMS) and RC 14001, full assessment, auditing and certification services for which are also available via Turner & Coates.

As part of our all-embracing provision in this vital and growing area of our service portfolio, we help companies to efficiently integrate their environmental management requirements into their existing management systems, rather than creating separate systems for different standards. After all, a company can only really have one management system in place; and it must incorporate all quality, environment, health, safety and financial aspects.

Turner & Coates – excellence as standard!