Leapfrog Public Relations Agency

Innovation and responsibility should be the two key drivers for the foodservice packaging industry, according to speakers at the recent Foodservice Packaging Association’s first Environmental Seminar.

Collection for Wrappers, Containers and Drinks Cups?

More than 100 members of the FPA debated the challenges facing the industry, lead by key speakers from Eco3, WRAP and Closed Loop London.   The event concluded with a lively debate amongst manufacturers and distributors, demonstrating that across the industry there is a strong sense that members are willing to do more to encourage recycling of foodservice packaging items discarded out of the home, although little in the way of a national infrastructure yet exists for collection.

Martin Kersh, Secretary of the FPA comments: “These issues face all of us working in the out of home sector and the seminar highlighted the willingness of our members to collaborate with operators to find a solution.  If Café operators would like to take this further we’d be happy to facilitate further talks about how we can work together to devise recycling/collections schemes that work for customers, operators and manufactures. “

Speakers at the seminar highlighted a number of issues relevant to the sandwich sector. Leigh Holloway, director of environmental packaging consultancy Eco3,  talked about  the need to educate both consumers and trade buyers to complete life cycle considerations and the need to examine the implications of all sustainable product strategies, taking care to ensure that reducing impact in one area did not cause problems in another.  There is also a need for the consumer to understand the function of packaging and the positive role it plays in the food chain.

Joshua Sharman of WRAP also talked in details about the challenges facing foodservice.  Mr Sharman suggested the industry needs to get involved with schemes to encourage consumers to participate in on-the-go recycling.  Mr Sharma also highlighted WRAP’s work with British Retail Consortium to revise consumer packaging labels to make the environmental implications clearer and suggested the FPA’s members should consider a similar scheme for foodservice packaging.

A key issue for Chris Dow, Managing Director Closed Loop London, is the inconsistency amongst Local Authorities in kerb side recycling and the lack of ‘away from home’ recycling facilities.   To avoid legislation, FPA members were urged to collaborate with other agencies to ensure facilities are put in place to recover recylate wherever it is generated.

Summing up, Secretary of the FPA Martin Kersh  said: “Our members take their responsibilities very seriously and the innovation and investment that they are collectively making in a sustainable future is impressive.  New materials are being tested and brought on-stream all the time.  The challenge is now to work together to ensure collection and processing of appropriate products.  We have a strong track record in this as more than 20 years ago our industry founded the first ever recycling scheme by establishing Save a Cup for the vending industry.  We’re a group of innovators looking to secure both our businesses and our planet for the future.”