Designing for tomorrow: Insights from the Thin Wall Packaging summit

People sitting at a big conference room and listen to the speaker who is presenting on a big wall

Jordi Garriga, Senior Innovation Manager Food Packaging Division presenting at Thin Wall Packaging conference in Cologne, Germany

The wider topic of sustainability continues to drive the packaging design agenda, but where can significant gains be made in this field?

Aiming to share our insight and strategy, Jordi Garriga, the Senior Innovation Manager in our Food Packaging Global Division, took to the stage to deliver a compelling talk at the Thin Wall Packaging conference in Cologne, Germany.

Missed out on the event? Below, we share a summary of Jordi’s presentation, which delves into how we centre product design innovation around performance and environmental responsibility.

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Designing for recyclability: A core tenet of kp innovation

As a leading name in food packaging innovation, we know that the decisions we make today will shape how designs are developed in the future. At the Thin Wall Packaging summit, Jordi explained the importance of designing for recyclability, and how this in turn guides our design philosophy.

One of the core challenges in food packaging sustainability is that not all packaging substrates can be made suitable for recycling. However, a continued drive for material innovation could change this, and we keep this longer-term goal front of mind.

We put recyclability, and the ability to put more feedstock into the packaging loop, at the centre of our product development processes. Examples from our range include the kp Elite^® Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) tray for protein products, the kp MonoSeal^® mono rPET rigid film, and kp Infinity^®, a recyclable EPP-based single use food-to-go container.

In a market where the lack of standardisation in recyclability can be confusing for stakeholders, at kp, we’re taking the lead by designing products that meet recyclability standards even before they become mandatory.

kp Tray2Tray^®: Closing the loop with purpose

One of the highlights of Jordi's presentation at the Thin Wall Packaging summit was the exploration of our kp Tray2Tray^® initiative, aimed at closing the loop in food packaging.

This scheme is designed to break the recyclability status quo by recovering used food packaging and turning it back into more of the same, ultimately reducing our reliance on virgin material. In fact, by the close of 2025, we’re aiming to have at least 30% of the recycled material in our packaging coming from our Tray2Tray^® material.

Sharing insight into the benefits of our approach, Jordi’s presentation illustrated how Tray2Tray^® is not just a concept, but a growing reality. With more than 50k tonnes of recycled PET potentially returning to the production cycle, kp Tray2Tray^® stands as a beacon of innovation in the fight against packaging waste.

Food contact safety: navigating regulatory challenges

Jordi addressed the challenges and opportunities posed by new food contact regulations, such as EU 2022/1616, which concerns recycled plastic materials that come into direct contact with food products.

While essential for ensuring food safety, regulatory changes can act as roadblocks for food businesses in achieving wider sustainability goals. By putting our focus on the proactive development of food packaging recyclability, we are helping our customers and partners to navigate these complex waters.

This becomes even more valuable in a market where regulations can look very different from one country to the next, especially in terms of ‘ecotaxation’ models implemented by localised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.

By putting our focus on the proactive development of food packaging recyclability, we are helping our customers and partners to navigate these complex waters.

Jordi’s presentation concluded with a stark reality check for the food industry, reminding the audience that around 500k tonnes of tray PET are lost in linear waste channels each year, putting enormous pressure on landfill facilities. Yet, the packaging industry is rising to the occasion; the kp Tray2Tray^® initiative alone has the potential to bring back more than 50,000 tonnes of recycled PET into the material loop. However, closing the loop at scale demands collective action and innovation across the packaging value chain.

Our team is working with partners and stakeholders to address this challenge and build our long-term business strategy around it, emphasising the need for the entire industry to go further, faster.

We believe there’s an opportunity for real, meaningful change when it comes to moving the needle on circularity in food packaging, and it demands a high degree of commitment from all value chain members to implement it at scale. In the pursuit of a more sustainable future for the packaging industry, we stand at the forefront and invite the entire industry to join us on this journey.

Ready to explore how kp is putting recyclability at the heart of food packaging design?

Click here to get in touch with our team today.