Given the urgent need to protect the environment, the use of packaging is now a hot topic. Recycling, eco-design, over-packaging… these are all issues that need to be tackled head-on by manufacturers and legislators alike. Philippe Bolo, MoDem MP for the 7th constituency of Maine-et-Loire, spoke to ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS about these issues.

Rethinking our relationship with packaging

While the public debate has long focused on the treatment of packaging, Philippe Bolo is adamant that we must first and foremost rethink our relationship with packaging. For the MP, this rethink must lead us to an overall rationalisation that will ultimately enable us to actively combat plastic pollution linked to the poor management of packaging at the end of its life. This rationalisation is based on 3 pillars:

• Eliminating unnecessary and non-recyclable packaging

• Maximising the number of uses

• Reuse

Reuse: the cornerstone of recycling

In addition to this rationalisation, the development of recycling is also a key issue for the industry. While the recycling rate for packaging is increasing year on year, it is still not enough. “Developing recycling depends above all on eco-design”, says Philippe Bolo. Ultimately, eco-design should enable manufacturers to simplify the processing of packaging after use. In particular, this means reducing the number of polymers and additives used in their production. “Every time eco-design makes it possible to massify the flow of packaging that has become waste, we improve the possibility of recycling that packaging,” he adds.

Packaging: the challenges for the coming years

In conclusion, the co-rapporteur of the studies “Plastic pollution: a time bomb?” and “Plastics recycling” looks back at the challenges facing the packaging industry over the next 10 years. For the MP, there are 3 of them:

• Listening to consumers, who are the first to be confronted with over-packaging and who denounce it;

• Eco-design, which must take precedence over marketing in order to define the packaging models of tomorrow;

• The circular economy, with companies having to base their strategy on that of the circular economy, taking into account, in order, reduction, reuse and recycling.

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