As part of their commitment to eco-responsibility, companies are looking to green packaging that meets their specifications and is easy to recycle. Single-material packaging offers an ideal ecological alternative for limiting both costs and environmental impact.

The ecological ambitions of the packaging, processing, printing and logistics ecosystem are driving manufacturers to reinvent themselves in terms of packaging. Single-material packaging is becoming increasingly popular for its sobriety, promoting economies of scale throughout the production chain. Favourable to the renewal of resources and the circular economy loop, single-material packaging ticks all the CSR boxes for sustainable packaging.

Redefining packaging design with single-material packaging

The current demand for innovation and new-generation sustainable packaging is forcing manufacturers to innovate. More sober solutions are emerging to meet a simple ecological demand: to limit the depletion of resources and the use of raw materials, and to favour recycled materials. This approach is driving the simplification of packaging and materials, so that they can be seamlessly integrated into recycling channels.

Fewer materials = less loss during recycling.
Making sorting easier = optimising recyclability.

The materials most suitable for single-material packaging include :

• Plastic, especially recycled plastic film.
• Paper, particularly compostable and recyclable single-material paper packaging, which is very popular in the food and agri-food markets (fruit and vegetable bags, etc.).
• Glass, the single-material packaging par excellence.
• Wood, especially single-use, recyclable or returnable pallets.
• All metal materials.
• Cardboard packaging, the leading single-material in the e-commerce sector.

The benefits of single-material packaging for recycling channels

Single-material packaging has become an integral part of companies’ new eco-responsibility strategies, while giving pride of place to any type of (recycled) single-material, including plastic.

What’s more, single-material packaging has managed to find its way smoothly into recycling chains, thanks to the absence of material mixes or the plurality of materials used for optimum recycling capacity.

What’s more, manufacturers who favour the design of single-material packaging are willing to align themselves with government requirements concerning strict new regulations in terms of CSR and eco-responsibility.

Glass and metal materials stand out as single-material packaging that can be recycled ad infinitum, without altering its various properties.

Sorting glass and metal is made easier by the development of recycling channels, which increase their recyclability.

What’s more, new and increasingly stringent regulations are forcing manufacturers to reinvent themselves and resort to more sustainable solutions and ecological alternatives for their packaging.

French and European requirements mainly concern the use of plastic and the ban on single-use plastic, forcing companies more and more to give up their single-use packaging.

• The European Single Use Plastics Directive has formally banned the use of single-use plastic products, particularly in the food sector (cutlery, plates, straws, etc.).
• The law on energy transition for green growth has sounded the death knell for the distribution of thin plastic bags.
• The anti-waste law for a circular economy (Law AGEC) imposed directives to limit waste and preserve the climate and biodiversity, with the long-term aim of banning the use of certain single-use plastics by 2025, with a complete ban to follow in 2040.

Both recycled and recyclable, single-material packaging limits the use of virgin raw materials and offers a sustainable solution that promotes circularity, which is the primary objective of CSR strategies within companies.

Eco-responsibility and resource savings with single-material packaging

Using single-material packaging promotes economies of scale throughout the production chain: upstream, thanks to a single source of raw materials, but also at the end of the loop, by facilitating waste processing logistics.

What’s more, manufacturers who design or use single-material packaging are willing to align themselves with the requirements of strict new regulations in terms of CSR and eco-responsibility.

Lastly, by adopting strategies that limit the environmental impact of their packaging, companies are making a commitment to both the planet and consumers to fight together to preserve the environment. It’s a win-win CSR and commercial strategy that also builds customer loyalty.

If you’re also involved in the world of packaging, or are a manufacturer using sustainable materials, the ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS trade show opens its doors to you, at the crossroads of innovation and pro-environmental trends.

Join us at the next edition of ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS 2024: registration is already open and we’re waiting for you!

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to watch the replays of last year’s conferences, and take part in all the 2023 events.

ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS: Innovation never stops!
The must-attend event for industry professionals, and the benchmark event for players in the packaging and logistics eco-system.

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