Sustainability Manager at Tetra Pak Awantika Chadha explores how cross sector collaboration can accelerate the transition towards a circular economy.
Every day we are reminded why there’s an urgent need to transition to a more sustainable economy. Living in the UK we’ve just had an Arctic’ spring, while elsewhere in Europe, Spain has broken its records for the hottest temperatures in April. Further afield, scientists say that the devastating drought in the Horn of Africa has been made 100 times more likely because of climate change.
We have to accelerate change, but many working across food and manufacturing supply chains face challenges. Over two-fifths (41%) of food manufacturers we polled said supply chains are disrupted, hindering their efforts to adopt sustainable packaging options, for example. At Tetra Pak, we believe one way to build a more resilient supply chain and lessen the environmental impact of food systems is to adopt a low-carbon circular economy.
The circular economy
The circular economy is about rethinking the traditional “take, make, dispose” linear model of how the system currently works, and replacing it with one that keeps resources in use for as long as possible. This means designing products and packaging with multiple “lives” in mind, considering material choices more carefully and establishing the infrastructure necessary to make sure the transition is a success.
The circular economy is about rethinking the traditional “take, make, dispose” linear model of how the system currently works.
This requires collaboration from everyone involved in the food and drink industry to consider the environmental impact of each raw material used throughout the value chain; push for investment in collection infrastructure and recycling technologies; and for innovation in packaging and food production practices.
Stepping forward together
We must work more closely as one team – businesses and governments alike – to establish the infrastructure necessary to achieve a circular economy. This means both physical infrastructure such as effective recycling and waste processing centres, and social infrastructure such as incentives and continued efforts to raise awareness of circularity.
Consumers must have access to clear information so they can make informed decisions about the products they purchase. By establishing a system with these standards, we can incentivise businesses to make more sustainable choices and help consumers to be more informed.
To invest in and prioritise circularity, company leadership must agree that the benefits of a circular economy go far beyond simply reducing waste. They include long-term cost reduction, brand recognition, reputation and the ability to attract and retain top talent. People want to work for more sustainable companies, and business leaders must show bravery and foresight to build a resilient and successful business.
As a business community, we must also work more closely together with governments on regulation.
As a business community, we must also work more closely together with governments on regulation. In the UK, several initiatives are encouraging greater commitments to more sustainable packaging. The Government Food Strategy has recognised the role of packaging in reducing waste across the global food system, for example.
But issues such as climate change and waste have traditionally been looked at in isolation. These issues are interlinked, and effective policy could drive change across industry.
While consumers are looking for sustainable solutions, they are not always willing to pay extra for them. We need legislation to create a level playing field and ensure that all businesses are held to the same standards. Policy makers must take the lead in creating the necessary regulation, and businesses must support and feed into this effort.
The role of packaging
We have to rethink the way packaging is designed. By designing products and packaging with multiple “lives” in mind, we can ensure that they don’t become waste after their initial use. This means using more sustainable materials, reducing the amount of materials used overall and designing products to be easily disassembled for recycling.
At Tetra Pak, we committed €100 million per year over the next 5-10 years to develop more sustainable packaging solutions and we are seeing progress. By “designing out” waste, we can reduce our environmental impact and create more value from our resources.
The transition to a circular economy will be essential in the fight against climate change.
The transition to a circular economy will be essential in the fight against climate change – we must learn to consider the many “lives” of both products and the packaging they come in. Businesses will play a critical role in this transition and must start to consider how they will make these changes together.
We are working with multiple stakeholders to reduce the impact across our value chain, while we also seek opportunities to take action with government. Only through collaboration can we accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
