Packaging regulations, reusable packaging obligations, new deposit systems: 2023 was a very eventful year for people involved in packaging. The common thread were the questions: What’s next? Which regulations will affect us, when and how? This was expressed not least by industry insider Claus Paal, President of the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Manufacturers of packaging and packaging materials are used to constant change and have proven their resilience, not least during the coronavirus pandemic. They are responding to the transformation with flexibility and innovation. What will the new year bring? What topics are industry experts focusing on? FACHPACK360° has collected sound bites.
Jakob Rinninger, CEO of the STI Group, says: “While 2023 was characterized by inflationary cost pressure in all areas, 2024 will be all about advancing innovative and sustainable packaging concepts. The price demanded for packaging and the associated CO2 emissions will increasingly be considered in relation to each other. For this, we need standardized and transparent systems that make comparability possible.”
With this in mind, the company has joined the SBTi initiative in order to promote this development in its markets and provide customers with the best possible support in achieving their own sustainability goals. “Due to CO2 pricing and the increasing taxation of plastic, the demands on innovations in the packaging sector are enormous and require innovation and a willingness to change. As the STI Group, we are investing heavily in these necessary changes”, says Jakob Rinninger.
The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) defines and promotes best practices for emissions reduction and net zero targets in line with climate science.
Sonja Bähr, Packaging Analyst at TILISCO GmbH, says: “The year 2024 poses major challenges for the packaging industry. If the draft of the European Packaging Regulation (PPWR) is adopted, companies will have to take an explicit look at their packaging and check whether the future requirements are achievable. At the same time, the government’s planned plastic levy and the implementation of the single-use plastic fund threaten to increase costs, especially for plastics.” What can companies in the packaging industry do? Bähr says: “We need to develop a viable packaging strategy for the next seven to twelve years, make even greater use of the potential for material savings, and, above all, get retailers on board much more with holistic optimization approaches.”
Alexander Deharde, Head of Sales, beck packautomaten GmbH & Co.KG, predicts that the topic of sustainability will become increasingly important. “The packaging industry continues to move towards sustainable packaging. We are gearing our packaging machines towards this in order to meet our customers’ requirements. Whether film with a high recycled content or paper: both materials can be processed on our packaging machines.” In addition to the issue of sustainability, the challenges in e-commerce in particular are extremely high. He is certain that the packaging machines from beck packautomaten will help customers to optimize processes and save costs. “We are looking forward to an exciting and interesting FACHPACK in Nuremberg.” The trade fair is an important meeting place for the industry. “We are looking forward to seeing everyone again,” says Deharde.
