Packaging Sustainability in Asia: One Step at a Time

GOING green can be an expensive and lengthy process, causing manufacturers to think twice about the prospect of investing in sustainable packaging materials and equipment. Yet the future of retailing is in reduced, lightweight and ergonomic packaging, as transnational retailing & distributing operations require their suppliers to 'shape up', logistical costs continue to rise, and a growing number of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers look beyond brands and shelf appeal to Earth-friendly options.

According to Pike Research1, worldwide packaging industry revenues will increase to $530 billion by 2014 from $429 billion in 2009, representing a growth rate greater than that of the global economy itself. Along with this growth comes an ever-greater burden on the environment in the form of raw materials, energy, transportation, and disposal impacts, notes the cleantech market intelligence firm.Indeed Pike Research forecasts that the sustainable packaging sector is growing much faster than the overall packaging industry, and anticipates that eco-friendly packaging will nearly double in revenues from $88 billion in 2009 to $170 billion in 2014.

The need to package food, consumer and industrial products in a more sustainable and affordable way dominates the worldwide packaging industry, according to DuPont's global survey of consumer packaged goods companies and packaging converters. Concerns in the industry for sustainable, cost-effective solutions that reduce packaging's environmental footprint is especially true in the food and beverage industry, where consumer demand for products supporting health and wellness goes hand-in-hand with a demand for more sustainable solutions.

The DuPont survey, conducted in March 2011, found that meeting sustainability challenges requires multiple strategies, according to survey results. Of those respondents working on sustainable packaging, 65% say their efforts are focused on design for recyclability or use of recycled content; 57% are focused on weight reduction; 41% rely on renewable or bio-based materials and 25% say they are focused on compostable materials.

Asian scenario

Krones, the leading beverage packaging systems, acknowledges that there are now many more global players who are very invested in sustainability issues. "Energy consumption and carbon footprints are major topics in the industry," points out Bangkok-based Markus Winter, who heads Krones' South East Asian operations. "But you also have to have green-minded customers willing to pay for this technology."

"Krones takes sustainability very seriously, as it factors into many of our business practices. We have many new technologies that we are developing that address this issue, including one of the most energy-efficient machines in the industry," Mr Winter, chief executive officer of Krones (Thailand) Co, Ltd, said. "An affordable and energy efficient PET bottle recycle plant is one of the latest additions in our product portfolio, providing our customers with a tool as they strive for a greener environment."Packaging sustainability has also become lifestyle issue for more and more Asian consumers, as well, and their choices are influencing the way manufacturers develop and package products.

"An increasing number of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region are seeking out sustainably produced products, especially in Indonesia, China and India. These eco-conscious consumers, who have joined the LOHAS movement that first emerged in Western markets like the U.S., will choose 'green' products over others if availaJORDAN