Close-up on food trends : Packaging in France, a huge interest in sustainable solutions

In France, manufacturing of packaging products has reached 18.3 million Euros (source: INSEE), which represents overs five million tons of household waste (source: ADEME), including those that are recyclable, let alone recycled.

The growing awareness of the environment impact of packaging is now widespread among consumers, but also food business professionals. In addition, new regulations are inciting the packaging and food sector to identify alternatives. One of our sector's major challenges for the future has now become how to reconcile packaging with environmental concerns. This article of Close-up of Food Trends will give you an overview for the actions and perspectives in the French food sector.

Plastic: enemy number one?

According to ADEME (the French ecological transition agency), consumer packaging represents more than 5 million tons of waste per year, composed of various materials: mostly glass (48.3% of household packaging), but also plastic (22%), paper or cardboard (21.4%) (full details here - in French).

While 70% of consumer packaging is currently recyclable, it is clear that whether it is recycled depends largely on the materials used. Indeed, while 100% of steel packaging (tins, for example), 85% of glass, and 70% of paper-cardboard packaging are recycled, only 29% of plastic is recycled (source: CITEO). It is thus no wonder that plastics are in the line of fire of most governmental directives regarding packaging waste.

Consumer worry

"Packaging is the subject of an ever greater scrutiny and is an active participant in the circular economy. Consumers are paying more and more attention to the packaging of the products they buy. And brands and retailers are taking note of this. They are looking for new solutions and modifying their packaging design choices. The culture of "produce, use, discard" is slowly but surely on the move," explains Jonathan Tame, the managing director of Two Sides Europe in the introduction to a report on consumer preferences regarding packaging, including a survey of 5,900 Europeans in 2020.

Indeed, consumers are worried about the environmental impact of plastic, and are rejecting plastic packaging in ever greater numbers: 70% of European consumers surveyed by Two Sides Europe said they were actively trying to reduce their use of plastic packaging. Another study, carried out by Smurfit Kappa and Yougov in 2020 (source), came to the same conclusion, indicating that 78% of French people thought that plastic packaging was not essential for everyday food products (84% for non-food products).

Faced with these numbers, other types of packaging are gaining in popularity among consumers because they are reusable, compostable or more easily recyclable: containers in paper or cardboard, considered easily compostable at home (for 72% of consumers) and generally viewed as better for the environment (for 62%), or glass (reusable for 55% of respondants) (source: Two Sides Europe 2020).   

Even more recently, in February 2021, Tipa, a specialist in sustainable packaging, and Ipsos Digital published the results of a survey on waste management by consumers (source). This survey confirmed the desire of consumers to exit the "use, discard, pollute" paradigm linked to plastic packaging, by taking on composting:

• 90% of consumers surveyed for this report considered that compostable packaging was a healthy and ecological alternative to conventional plastic packaging
• 89% thought that more food products should be packaged in entirely compostable packaging as an alternative to plastic
• 65% said they were prepared to pay more for a product in compostable packaging
• 45% said they compost at home, and 89% said they would do it if provided with the means
  
  

This desire to reduce household packaging waste is also expressed in the greater number of people sorting their household waste. In the 2020 edition of the Observatoire de la consommation responsable, an annual report published by  Obsoco and CITEO, to the question "Do you personally sort your household waste?", 68% of the survey respondants replied "systematically" - an increase of 9 points in the space of one year.

Changing regulations

Consumers are of course an important driver for change. Consequently, regulations are also evolving, moving progressively in the direction of sustainability. Here are a few reminders of the recent European regulatory modifications related to packaging:

• Directive of the European parliament on single use plastics (find out more here on the website of the European parliament). In 2019, the European parliament voted to ban single use plastics such as disposable plastic cutlery or straws. This directive also fixes goals in terms of recycling: member states must reach a goal of collecting 90% of plastic bottles by 2029, and plastic bottles sold in the EU will have to contain at least 30% recycled plastic by 2030 (with the intermediate step of 25% by 2025

• Anti-waste circular economy law 

Entering into force in 2021, this French low goes even further. It is organised in 4 chapters: consumer information, the fight against waste, reducing the environmental impact of plastics, and the responsibility of manufacturers. It notably includes (more info here - in French):

• The obligation, from 2022 onwards, to use harmonised sorting information on packaging
• A ban on single use plastic products (cups, plates, cutlery, straws, stirrers etc.)
• The goal of reducing by 50% by 2030 the number of single use plastic bottles for beverages
• The obligation to include information on the use of free tap water in bars and restaurants

The question of recycling

Recyclability is at the heart of consumer perception of the question of the sustainability of packaging. Indeed, 63% of respondants of the Citeo survey linked "respect for the environment" and "recyclability" - in front of "biodegradeability" (only 32% of respondants) (source: LSA). But there are obstacles to the question of recyclability. On the one hand there is information for consumers and their understanding of the logos and existing recycling methods. On the other hand are the limits of the existing recycling infrastructure itself.

Room for improvement in consumer information

According to a Citeo report from 2018, 53% of French consumers do not understand why some packaging must be sorted and others not. Indeed, professional jargon is not understandable to everyone - and is mostly used to indicate the origin or the recyclability of a packaging. For example, while 86% of consumers consider that the wording "matériaux d’origine végétale" (plant-based material) is proof of the sustainability of the packaging, only 46% of those surveyed thought so for "emballage biosourcé" (bio-sourced packaging).

Consumer understanding of recycling is thus somewhat disconnected from the reality, whether in terms of knowledge of materials or in relation to the reality of recycling:

• Glass receives better press than tins among consumers - while the recylability of the latter is in fact better or at least equal to the former. For example, only 53% of consumers think that a beer can is environmentally friendly (while it is 100% recyclable) - compared to 91% for a glass bottle. 
• 41% of consumers think that 100% of flexible plastic packaging (not including PET) are recycled - in reality, only 5% are recycled (according to the Citeo 2020 report – source).

The need for infrastructure

While packaging is becoming more and more recyclable, are they really being recycled at their full potential? Well, while most packaging is indeed recyclable "there still isn't a  recycling industry "sector" to undertake the recycling from when the packaging is discarded up to the remanufactur of other objects using recycled materials", explains Julien Bouzenot, director of Rudologia.

The graph below, from ADEME, shows that, despite notable progress in recent years, that we are far from seeing most of the waste produced recycled - in particular concerning plastics.

Figure 54. Rate of recycling of packaging by material (% of materials sent for recycling comparted to production, and rate of recycling from 2004 to 2016
Labels: Paper-cardboard, plastics, wood, metals, glass, all materials, all recycled materials
(source : ADEME)

Julien Bouzenot gives us an example: "although a single-material packaging is technically simpler to recycle, it will however never be systematically recycled. Either because the plastic resin is not used in sufficient quantities nationally so that dedicated plastic regenerators can be economically viable. Or because, even for easy to recycle plastics such as PET, sorting the waste into the right bins at the start of the chain is not carried out systematically by everyone (at home or by businesses). Indeed, we can see that 4 out of 10 plastic bottles are never sorted."

What role can a food manufacturer play?

While public authorities are the main players regarding raising consumer awareness, food manufacturers also have an important role to play. For example: 

• By including more detailed sorting instructions, beyond a simple logo: 100% of  Fleury Michon supermarket packaging carries precise instructions ("plastic film goes in the bin", "this cardboard box goes in the recycling")
• by informing consumers about the recyclability of the materials used and the impact on your product. Your plastic film is made from plant materials to optimise its recyclability? That's a great start. Does this change have a consequence for your product? A shorter shelflife, less attractive packaging... or is it simply different? Let your customers know the details.

Going plastic-free: what alternatives are catching on?

These observations area leading food business professionals to offer solutions addressing environmental challenges and consumer expectations. Innovative packaging, eco-designed, bio-sourced... but also new distribution methods to limit the use of packaging (bulk, returns). What options are there for freeing us of plastic? For French speakers, you can watch the replay of our webinar on the various types of "sustainable" packaging, and a few innovations already on the market. ADD LINK

Eco-design. What's that about? 

Eco-design consists of integrating the respect and protection of the environment from the design stage of the product or service, and at each stage of its life-cycle - including, of course, packaging. What practices are there for eco-designing packaging? Here are a few ideas provided by ADEME (they have more information here in French: https://communication-responsable.ademe.fr/):

• Prefer single-material packaging or a system that is as homogenous a possible to facilitate recyclability
• For multi-material packaging, make it easier to separate the elements in order to facilitate sorting
• Optimise the quantities of ink used, by limiting colours, for example, and choosing low impact inks (in particular those using plant-based binders)
• Optimise the use of glue and adhesives and choose low impact options in terms of their impact on the recycling process

In the food sector, eco-designed packaging are becoming more and more common. Here are a few examples: 

• The tray for Leerdammer cheese developed by the Bel group: composed of a PET packaging including 24% recycled materials, this tray is 100% recyclable. This innovation is part of the 85% recyclable or biodegradeable packaging used by the group.
• Traditionally using a mix of wood and plastic, the cheese Le Crottin of the Rians brand (manufactured by Triballat) is now available in mono-material packaging in order to optimise its recyclability
• Spadel is optimising all aspects of packaging for its bottles: the bottles are 100% recyclable, but they also source sustainable paper (recycled or label FSC) and inks (plant-based)
• In the butchery aisle, Bodin, the organic division ot Terrena, recently presented at the CFIA trade show a oardboard flat pack board for its chicken fillets (rather than plastic or polystyrene trays) that use 75% less plastic.

Bio-sourced: in favour of biodegradability

The term "bio-sourced" refers to the use of renewable primary materials make from biomass (from plants, for example). Bio-sourced food packaging materials can therefore be from a variety of renewable sources, such as corn, potato, rice, soy, sugarcane, wheat, vegetable oil, or indeed fungus.

Since they are made from renewables (as opposed to petrochemicals), biosourced packaging is also biodegradable. This becomes an important argument in the face of the limits of recycling: while developing recycling is one of the main areas of focus, recycling as a system does not have unanimous support. Indeed, recycled plastic is just as likely to pollute our soils and oceans than non-recycled plastic.

The European project Glopack for which Vitagora is a stakeholder, is addressing this question by focusing on developing and marketing sustainable (bio-sourced, biodegradable or active) packaging solutions (find out more here).

Here are a few examples of bio-sourcced packaging that is already in use:

• In Australia, the company Alpla has developed coffee capsules using bio-sourced organic materials, in particular sunflower. Biodegradable at home in 6 months, these capsules are also offered with a domestic composter to encourage consumers to go the extra mile
• Nestlé has developed a bio-sourced paper packaging for its cereal and fruit bars, adapted to high speed factory packing (intended for plastic packaging) and guaranteeing the quality and freshness of the product
• The company Rapuk has devleoped a 100% bio-sourced packaging for sandwiches. The box is made from the stalks and leaves or rice, wheat, corn and sugarcane. An intelligent means of using the by-products of cereal crops, most often burnt (only 20% are currently reused), this packaging can be recycled up to 7 times and is entirely compostable in domestic conditions
• La société Rapuk a développé un emballage 100% biosourcé pour sandwichs. Le carton est réalisé à partir de tiges et de feuilles de riz, de blé, de maïs et de canne à sucre. Une façon intelligente d’exploiter ces co-produits de récoltes, la plupart du temps brûlés (seuls 20% de ces co-produits seraient actuellement utilisés). Recyclable jusqu’à 7 fois, cet emballage est entièrement compostable à domicile.

Exploiting by-products for their cellulose fibres: the problem of contamination

Are bio-sourced, biodegradable, recyclable or recycled, and reusable packaging materials possible? Only cellulosic materials, made from food crop by-products, appear to offer a real solution that covers all of these requirements, as well as being both technologically and economically feasible for mass production. An example is proposed by the start-up Outlander Materials (non-toxic, semi-transparent and compostable, made from the waste of beer brewing).

However, frequent contamination by mineral oils from paper and coardboard packaging is a problem to be addressed by these types of materials. In parallel, the current limits for detecting aromatic compounds a well as the lack of harmonised European legislation, hampers the development of an efficient solution.

To address the problem, and offer solutions, the project FOODSAFEBIOPACK was launched in 2021 (some information on the project here). It's goal is to anticipate substitution of single use plastic packaging by  a more sustainable and diversified offer, in which cellulosic materials will play a large role, thanks to three areas of focus:

• Qualifying the transfer conditions by food type and modality for packaged foods sampled from the market
• Investigating the relationships between the structure of fibrous assemblages, the structure and composition of foods, and the transfer mechanisms of complex mixtures of substances from printing inks 
• Developing a preventive and comprehensive approach to the risk of contamination thanks to a water-based deposition of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). This technological solution not only preserves the recyclability and initial biodegradability of the materials but also greatly improves the barrier properties of the fibrous materials to liquids and gases to compete directly with plastic materials.

Modifying usages: limiting the use of packaging

Bulk, returns or reusing are solutions for reducing the production of packaging waste, by reducing the total amount of packaging used in the first place.

Bulk shopping to the forefront

Mobilising a growing contingent of "zero waste" shoppers, anti-waste retailers are selling self-service, packaging free products. Today, bulk buying is in the spotlight in the retail sector, in particular for food, with sales growing in France by 50% beteen 2013 and 2019 (source: LSA). According to the professional association Réseau Vrac, France is one of the leaders in bulk buying (source).

According to a 2019 Nielson study on packaging in France, more than a third of French consumers buy products in the bulk aisle (outside of fresh fruit and vegetables). Among the types of products bought in bulk, nuts and seeds are the most often cited (by 58% of respondants), followed by dry fruits and pulses. Other products, such as sugar and flour, are also bought in bulk by 10% of those surveyed, while dish washing liquid as cited by 6%. While chilled products are less easily accessible in bulk, some brands are taking up the challenge: Danone recently launched a test of bulk yoghurt in the Day by Day superettes. 

This survey also highlighted that there are few sociodemographic distinctions among bulk buy adepts (neither age, revenues, lifestyle or localisation - urban or rural), but rater a differentiation in terms of convictions. Bulk clients are more likely to be highly aware of environment considerations: they more frequently buy organic, fairtrade or local products. 59% of bulk buy clients in another study by Kantar thus described themselves "consumer activists" (consomm'acteurs in French) concerned by questions of sustainability.

To meet this growing movement, retailers have developed:

• A more and more systematic presence of bulk in supermarkets, with 49% of bulk buyers surveyed by Nielson doing their shopping in large stores
• The development of specialised retail outlets, which are used by 52% of bulk buyers (Nielson)
• Bulk home deliveries or click and collect are providing a service for urban consumers. Many initiatives in various parts of France are surfing on the development of e-commerce to offer online catalogues: VanAvrac, La réserve bio, Aux Petits Grains, Vrac N Roll,  

The resurgence of packaging returns

According to a survey carried out by WWF in 2019, 88 % of consumers were favourable to a system of returns allowing the reuse of bottles and containers (source). Returning to the spotlight thanks in part to the development of the bulk offer, and a growing awareness among shoppers of reusable packaging, a returns system is also appealing to food businesses - while still presenting a number of challenges (washing, sterilisation, logistics etc.).

Aiming to offer a return system for supermarket brands, the Loop platform offers consumers the possibility to have their favourite products delivered to their door, in returnable containers. This initiative has been deployed for the moment in the Paris region and is lead by TerraCycle and Carrefour, in partnership with 25 consumer food manufacturers (including non-food), among them Mondelez, Danone, Lesieur, Unilever, Nestlé, Mars Petcare, etc.  

Experiments are also underway for food service, while the current context has lead to a resurgence in click and collect and deliveries, which is often a source of single use packaging.  FoodChéri and Nestor, Frichti with GreenGo, orTiptoque are a few of the foodservice players developing solutions for reuse of containers.

Go further

Has the pandemic had an impact on how consumers view packaging, from a hygiene standpoint? According to Selon CITEO (source), while 7% of French people declare that they tend to prioritise lastic packaging as a barrier against infection, there are also 26% of French consumers who say the opposite! It seems that the guarantee of hygeine is not a sufficiently strong argument to overcome the environmental conscience of a majority of consumers.

If you are a paid member of Vitagora, you can also find out more here about the impact of Covid-19 on French consumers and food markets.

This edition of Close-up on Food Trends was supported by ADEME and the Burgundy-Franche-Comté regional council.

More reading :

• Packaging: eco-design and recycling can reduce environmental impact
• How are start-ups disrupting packaging as we know it? [Webinar replay] (paid members only)