ULMA Packaging UK has welcomed the introduction of a new British standard for biodegradable plastic as the industry inches closer to developing sustainable packaging.
Published by the British Standards Institute (BSI) as ‘PAS 9017’, the new standard requires plastics claiming to be biodegradable to pass a test proving they break down into harmless wax containing no nano-or-microplastics.
ULMA pioneered the new design as a part of a project called ‘ULMAWeCare,’ and a three-way initiative to make British packaging more sustainable.
The standard has been benchmarked by British company Polymateria to transform certain plastic items into sludge at a certain point in their lifetime, which is also applicable to other packaging types such as cartons or food films.
Ed Williams, a sales director as ULMA Packaging UK, said the new standard will be looked upon with great interest by the machine packaging industry.
He said: “While great strides are being taken educating the consumer on what constitutes sustainable and recyclable packaging, the fact remains that classifications around sustainable packaging could be clearer. As such, this latest move to standardise degradable materials is something to be welcomed.
“ULMA has long been committed to supporting and investing in sustainability and recyclability as part of our ‘ULMA WeCare’ project, and have been actively working with materials suppliers to this end. We are keen to assist within the continually developing field of biodegradable plastics, especially at a time when improving the recycling and composting of these materials is a major priority for the packaging industry.”
Mr Williams added the new products could help offer packaging companies new alternatives for manufacturers and retailers looking for additional sustainable packaging options, other existing mainline options such as compostable food films.
He said: “Giving manufacturers and retailers, and by extension consumers, additional choices when it comes to sustainable packaging must be seen as a positive step,” he said. “Consequently, we will be interested to see how films meeting this standard perform in trials.
“If these materials can offer the stability, functionality, processibility and shelf-life demanded by both food manufacturing companies and customers, this could be a very exciting development for the industry.
“Through our newest project, we are looking to reduce plastic materials used in packaging and promote the inclusion of recyclable and compostable solutions. ”
He added: “Achieving more efficient processes and effective packaging with a smaller environmental impact is a major challenge for multiple sectors. With this in mind, sustainable policy introductions such as this new standard have a crucial part to play in unlocking further innovations that can create more sustainable supply chains that reduce the overall impact on the environment.”
