PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2020

TRADE SHOW REVIEW PET planet Insider Vol. 21 No. 03/20 www.petpla.net 40 Pathfinding in plastics recycling and the circular economy: separating truth from hype Eliminating waste and building a circular economy by Annemieke Hartman, Global Commercial Director, OneCircle Brand owners’ packaging mix is changing, being made inevitable under pressure to act responsibly towards future generations, to inflict the lowest possible CO 2 footprint and eliminate the waste of raw materials, water and other resources. Keykeg/Unikeg has adopted a strategy of sus- tainable lightweight plastic kegs, rather than solutions such as steel kegs and bottles. Product design and supply chain advantages, along with a responsible approach to collec- tion and circular use of materials, are building a platform for future sustainable kegs. ‘greenwashing’. Evidence-based knowl- edge must drive decision-making. Straightforward recycling has become a familiar aim over recent years. It is time to take the next step and drive business models towards fully circular lifecycle solutions. It sounds like a simple aim, but the detail reveals that the reality is rather more complicated. Reduce The most sustainable material is that which is not used in the first place! Providers of packaging solutions for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies, are working on projects aimed at the reduction of weight. The small container environment has seen reduction of bottles’ neck height, reduced wall thickness and reduced Empty Keykegs crushed and ready for recycling and reuse As a provider of advanced pack- aging solutions in 10 l, 20 l and 30 l Keykeg and Unikeg formats, the company is continuously striving to develop solutions to reduce its envi- ronmental impact, with the objective of delivering a fully ‘closed loop’, circular solution in the near future. In this article, the company seeks to provide insight into the sustainable plas- tic keg market and suggest questions that users should ask of keg providers to ensure that the product’s offerings are truly sustainable options, to identify and highlight recycling opportunities and to be able to discern lip service and