Packaging Cluster organized the event online “Study on food plastic”, prepared and directed by the Clúster itself, on September XNUMX.
From the hand of your innovation expert Mireia Andreu Robert, presented the main conclusions of the study on the role of plastic in the food industry, exploring both its benefits and the disadvantages related to its use. In addition, to quantify the sector in the Catalan and Spanish market and examine a possible growth forecast.
Mireia Andreu highlighted the notable increase in the use of plastic in the packaging industry, despite the negative perception that society currently has about this material and the legislative restrictions that limit its use. Particularly, the implementation of legislation related to the use of disposable plastics It has had a notable impact on both the industry and the consumer economy. This has been reflected in an increase in prices of products that incorporate plastic in addition to inflation. At the same time, the plastic tax is also generating adverse effects, such as the possible access limitation these products for some consumers and their influence on competitiveness of companies in the market.
Likewise, from a business point of view, the introduction of the tax has posed significant challenges, such as changes in revenue management and the need to have liquidity to meet tax obligations while awaiting collection from clients.
The selection of packaging material is of vital importance and must be determined according to the product in question, the method of transportation and its particular properties. Currently, there are a variety of alternative materials to traditional plastic, although sometimes these can be less resistant and present greater challenges in terms of recycling. Therefore, it is It is essential to carry out a Product Life Cycle Analysis and objectively compare materials and their alternatives. To facilitate this process, the Packaging Cluster is developing a tool called “Packimpact” dedicated exclusively to packaging, which collects local data and allows companies to make informed decisions about their packaging. This initiative has been possible thanks to help from ACCIÓ and with the participation of member companies of the cluster that initiated this tool such as Alzamora, Font Packaging, Enplater, Glovo, Lucid, NG Plastics, Rieusset, Virospack and Inèdit as co-owner of the tool. with Packaging Cluster.
Additionally, Mireia stressed that, according to the results of our study, slight growth is expected in the plastic packaging sector until 2027, with an increase of 5.54% in Europe and a 2.29% in Spain, according to data from Euromonitor.
Finally, as a summary of the conclusions obtained in the study, we can affirm that plastic is configured as a versatile material Widely used in various industries, including food, thanks to its physical characteristics. Although the growth of the sector presents challenges When it comes to waste management and sustainability, it is essential to highlight that the impact of packaging is relatively small compared to other sources of pollution.
In addition, the strategy of 7Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, rethink, challenge and reward) to minimize plastic consumption and waste. The introduction of the plastic tax constitutes a significant step forward in the direction of transitioning towards more sustainable alternatives. Despite the controversies, it is essential to appreciate the plastic versatility and adopt an equitable approach to its responsible use and appropriate management of waste. Concrete steps are urged to adopt sustainable practices and explore circular technologies and approaches as drivers of a more environmentally conscious future.
