The first full-day virtual training under the Packaging Partnership Programme (PPP) was conducted on 30 September 2020. More than 90 participants from a diverse range of industries such as the Food & Beverage Manufacturers, Packaging Producers, Electronic Companies and Retail & Hospitality Industry had the opportunity to hear from experts on adopting reusables and using recycled materials for food packaging. Mr Ang Wei Min from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) shared about food safety considerations when making food contact packaging from recycled materials. He also introduced the potential migrants (e.g. additives and organic compounds) from recycling primary food packaging, and how they could be avoided.
Ms Roxane Uzureau, from barePack, then touched on creating value through reusable packaging solutions. She introduced the difference between biological and technical cycles of materials, as well as different types of viable reuse models that reduce packaging waste, while continuing to serve consumers.
Screenshot 1: Ms Roxane Uzureau sharing on the 2 type of material categories usually used for packaging – Biological (natural based) and Technical (man-made based)
Lastly, Dr Natalia Duque Ciceri from TÜV SÜD provided an overview and the vision of the circular economy for packaging, which combines economic growth and sustainable practices. She also shared on the numerous packaging standards that can guide companies in the field of packaging waste management and sustainability. Lastly, she showed how the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) industry could aid interested businesses in a reliable transition towards a circular economy.
Screenshot 2: Ms Natalia Ciceri sharing on the steps companies can take for a circular economy for plastics & packaging which was adapted from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The PPP will be organising more of such trainings with the aim to help participants learn and understand how to make technically informed decisions, when re-thinking sustainable supply chains overall. Watch this space!