The Packaging Partnership Programme (PPP) organised a webinar titled "Sustainable Packaging Guidelines and Solutions" on 20 September 2023. Attended by over 130 attendees from more than 100 companies, it featured a speaker lineup of industry packaging experts and culminated in a stimulating Q&A session.
Mr Remi Cesaro, Founder and Executive Director of engineering consultancy Zero Waste City, kicked off the webinar with an introduction to the Technical Reference 109 on Sustainable Packaging Guiding Framework and Practices (TR109:2023). Mr Cesaro gave an overview of TR’s scope and provided some insights into key clauses 4 (on general packaging guidelines), 5 (on principles of developing sustainable packaging), 6 (on environmental design guidelines), and 7 (on environmental claims). The TR109:2023 is available for purchase on the Singapore Standards e-shop.
Mr Cesaro followed up with a second presentation on implementing sustainable packaging practices and solutions. He shared numerous strategies and opportunities to optimise packaging and reduce costs, particularly in regard to product, service, and transportation packaging in the internal operations/B2B and B2C (e-commerce) contexts. For example, he discussed reusable alternatives to shrink wrap, cardboard trays, and cardboard boxes that would not only reduce packaging waste but also reduce costs for businesses. Through a case study on transportation of chemical products, he also illustrated a cost-benefit analysis on the use of paper fibre (single-use, recyclable), plastic (reusable, limited recyclability), and steel (reusable, recyclable) drums.
Next, Dr Thawatchai Maneerung, Global Sustainability Expert and Sustainability Service Development Manager at safety, security and sustainability solutions company TÜV SÜD, began his presentation with a few striking statistics about Singapore’s plastic waste landscape. He pointed out that the average Singaporean uses 584 plastic bags a year – almost three times as many as the average European; and that the Singapore population uses a minimum of 1.76 billion plastic items each year. He then introduced the audience to various laws and regulations on sustainable and circular packaging plastics from around the world. These included the various regulatory drivers under the European Green Deal (EGD) and existing or upcoming legislation in ASEAN countries. This set the local and global contexts for Singapore’s own upcoming legislation on packaging and plastics, including its beverage container return scheme that would be implemented by 2025 as the first phase of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) approach to packaging waste including plastics.
Ms Zhang Ke Jin, Segment Manager of ASEAN at materials manufacturer Avery Dennison Singapore, delivered the final presentation of the webinar. She addressed the increasing consumer awareness on sustainable packaging, how global brands in ASEAN were taking the lead to develop sustainable products (e.g. through lightweighting, increasing use of recycled content, and design for recyclability), and the emergence of environmental regulations such as EPR legislation driving developments in recycling infrastructure in ASEAN. Ms. Zhang also presented case studies from Avery Dennison to illustrate how companies have designed their products for recyclability with the use of innovative labels that do not compromise the recycling process.
Following these enlightening presentations, participants took the opportunity to engage with the speakers directly. Questions included the availability of funding in Singapore for companies looking to transition to sustainable packaging, the current situation of recycling food packaging, as well as the speakers’ opinions on the additional charge for the use of plastic bags.
The webinar concluded after the Q&A session. Attendees left with valuable insights and a heightened awareness of the importance, global trends, and opportunities in sustainable packaging.