El Cluster of Innovation in Container and Packaging has counted in his 65º Breakfast with the participation of the Swedish multinational IKEA, which has transferred its packaging strategy until 2025 to the sector; and with the Business Confederation of Industrial Ecopackaging (Confecoi), which has presented Implica, a new SCRAP (Collective System of Extended Producer Responsibility)- The event was held at the IKEA headquarters in Alfafar (Valencia).
On behalf of IKEA, it has intervened Marian Garrigues, Customer Fulfillment Manager, who explained that sustainability is part of the company, whose first milestone was precisely the introduction of the flat pack, with which "we never transport air, reducing Co2 emissions and thus managing to take care of the planet". Another of the milestones that he has highlighted has been the introduction of the cardboard pallet, made of recycled material and of a smaller size. "It also allows us to be more commercial, to display everything in a cleaner way in our warehouse, which is most of it facing the public," he pointed out.
The IKEA representative has given some figures on the importance of packaging in the company, since for example, from Valencia alone, it distributes more than 40.000 packaged products every day and more than 100.000 professionals around the world are involved in this task. «Packaging has to be careful with people and the planet, and it is part of the design of the product where we do it through democratic design, taking into account aspects such as functionality, shape, resistance, durability and sustainability," he commented.
Marián Garrigues has explained IKEA's packaging strategy until 2025, which is based on four major movements. On the one hand, putting the customer at the center, a line in which they study how to optimize packaging to be able to send the products to customers' homes "in which we are testing many things." On the other hand, they look for affordable designs, for which he has explained the change they made in the use of honeycomb-shaped cardboard blocks, which allowed them to save 35% in material and 20% in costs. In the field of sustainability, IKEA's objective is to reduce its CO2 footprint, always choosing renewable or recycled raw materials that can be used. And finally, it is looking for a packaging that is a spokesperson for information, for which it is working on a very important traceability and brand image project.
New SCRAP for industrial packaging
On the other hand, the general secretary of Confecoi, Laura Sanz from Syria, has explained that IMPLICA arises from the need of commercial and industrial packers to comply with the Extended Responsibility of the Producer of packaged items (RAP), for which they must finance and organize the collection of containers, either individually or through a SCRAP. In this line, he has assured that he seeks to involve "the entire business value chain, manufacturers, packers, holders and managers, both recoverers and recyclers", also covering all packaging and packaging materials.
The directive has explained that companies have a deadline to adhere to a SCRAP until the end of 2023. In this line, it has detailed that one of the legal obligations for companies is to register in the registry. Companies must make the annual declaration of containers placed on the market through the Ministry, adding that in 2023 said declaration must be made until July 31 with the data of 2021, and until October 31 with those of 2022. Between other advantages, Laura Sanz from Syria explained that IMPLICA allows packers (product producers) to comply with the law at the lowest possible cost; while packaging manufacturers have the opportunity to add value to their customers, among other advantages.
Finally, more than 130 companies are already part of this new SCRAP, which has already carried out more than 150 consultations with the Ministry, and which has the support of ADELMA, AME, ANARPLA, ASEFAPI, ECOACERO, FEDESLIM, FEIGRAF, FER, QUIMACOVA and the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ), all of them members of CONFECOI.
