The Role of Packaging in Society

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The Role of Packaging in Society

• Dick Searle
• Chief Executive
• The Packaging Federation

2
Packaging under the microscope

• Very visible but little understood
• Much un-informed comment
• Significant environmental pressure
• Reactions from consumers and Government
• The waste problem

3
Dont confuse me with the facts

• Examine the evolution of society
• And the way that shopping has developed
• See how packaging has changed
• Where are we now?
• What is excessive packaging?
• Where do we go from here?

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The way things were

• What did most households not have in the 50s

• Car
• Phone
• Bath
• Central heating
• TV
• Washing machine

• Fridge
• Freezer
• Computers
• Internet
• AND!!!!!!

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The way things were

• What did most households not have in the 50s

• MICROWAVE OVENS !!!!

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The way things were (2)

• And society was different too
• Mostly two parent households
• Divorce was rare
• Few working mothers
• Pace of life was much slower
• Meal times (eating together) was the norm
• Disposable income was low

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And now

• For most all the noes have become yeses
• Pace of life dramatically higher and still
  accelerating
• Working households are the norm
• Eating on the run
• Divorce is high
• Internet shopping
• 29 single person households

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So what about shopping habits

• In the 50s
• Shopping was a daily exercise
• Grocers shops (Liptons, Maypole, HC)
• No supermarkets
• Most products sold loose queues/hygiene
• Home deliveries of milk, breadeven pop
• Range was limited and fresh food seasonal
• Convenience foods almost unheard of

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Then
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Then
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and now
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So what about shopping habits (2)

• And now
• Consumption has increased dramatically
• Supermarkets are everywhere
• Shopping is a weekly excursion
• Range and choice are huge
• Products available all year round
• Convenience is everything

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So what about packagings role in this?

• Packaging is the enabler for shopping as we
  know it today supermarkets could not exist
  without it
• Product wastage in the supply chain is now
  minimal
• Product presentation and information are key
• Brands are defined by their Packaging
• Many markets owe their existence to developments
  in packaging

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So lets look at some of the new boys

• Lightweight one-trip glass bottles
• Easy-open beverage cans
• Plastic bottles and tubes
• PET bottles
• Flexible packaging sachets and pouches
• Plastic films
• Child resistant packaging
• Liquid packaging cartons
• Aseptic packaging

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And theres more!...

• Ovenable packaging
• Modified atmosphere packaging
• Frozen food packaging
• Microwaveable packaging
• Chilled food packaging
• Multiple packaging board and plastics
• Shelf ready packaging
• And so on

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So what has the Packaging Industry done?

• Developed a fantastic range of new products
• Enabled a huge change in the way we shop
• Facilitated the reduction in food waste in the
  supply chain to ca. 3
• Lightweighted packaging across the board
• Achieved the decoupling of GDP growth from the
  increase in packaging used
• Given consumers product protection, hygiene,
  convenience and pack information
• Provided the platform for product branding and
  identification

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So where are we now?
Demands of the product
Demands of Consumer Retailer Marketer
Demands of Production Distribution Storage
Secondary packaging
Primary packaging
PRODUCT
Demands of legislation and environment
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Some of the issues that we face

• Allegations of excess packaging
• Ambivalent consumer attitudes
• Lack of recognition from retailers
• The Courtauld Commitment
• The packaging waste problem
• The carbon footprint debate

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Lets look at excess packaging

• Some of the more commonly quoted examples
• Easter eggs
• Cosmetics and perfumery packaging
• Point of sale packaging, e.g. pens
• Software
• Memory chips
• Fruit and vegetables in plastic

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Easter eggs who needs them?
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Cosmetics and perfumery
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Point of sale packaging
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Software and memory chips
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Fruit and vegetables in plastic
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Excess packaging in summary

• Like beauty is in the eye of the beholder
• And of course there are examples
• But often part of the product offering/image
• Or part of the retail methodology
• Comes down to consumer choice
• But remember the Essential Requirement
  Regulations only enforced (currently) in three
  EU countries including the UK!

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Ambivalent consumer attitudes

• Packaging responds to the needs of modern
  lifestyles
• Consumer concern about the environment is real
  but is it well informed? e.g. biodegradables
• Do they really want a return to the shopping
  regimes of yesteryear
• How much of consumer preference is theirs and how
  much is assumed by retailers
• The next couple of years will be very
  enlightening

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The retailers position

• So often fail to acknowledge/defend the
  importance of packaging to their activities
• The Courtauld Commitment
• How will they fulfil it?
• And how will it be measured?
• And what will be the consequences to them and to
  their customers?

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Packaging waste in perspective

• 3 of landfill and 18 of household waste
• But very visible
• Huge progress in last few years ca.60 now
  recycled
• Good recycling needs a better waste stream
• Further progress requires joined-up thinking
• The waste hierarchy must use real science
• Energy from waste must be taken seriously
• We can do more but not alone!

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And so in summary

• Packaging has made a huge contribution to life as
  we know it and we should be proud of that
• We have proved our innovation abilities time
  after time
• We are first and last a service industry and we
  are ready and able to respond to changes in
  societys needs
• BUTis society prepared to make the changes and
  pay the price in all senses of the word?

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And finally..some context

• Packaging is 3 of landfill
• Global carbon footprint of packaging including
  disposal is ca. 0.2
• Theres ten times more energy materials in
  products than in the packaging around them
• The energy content of one days packaging is
  equal to ONE MILE driven in the car !!
• AVOIDABLE food waste in the bin has some EIGHT
  times the impact of packaging waste

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And finally..some context

• SO - ISNT IT ABOUT TIME THAT THESE MUCH BIGGER
  ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RECEIVED A LOT MORE
  ATTENTION THAN PACKAGING DOES ??