Managing packaging waste: Companies must buck up

With heightened environmental consciousness among businesses, it is laudable that big corporations have started to adopt more responsible practices.

While these efforts are encouraging, many firms still hesitate to make the switch for fear of consumer backlash and a blow to their profit margins.

Nevertheless, businesses need to be more far-sighted and recognise the long-term value of sustainability.

In Singapore, packaging forms about one-third of household waste, most of it from consumer goods.

There is immense potential for companies to further reduce, reuse and recycle their packaging through consistent internal efforts or outsourcing solutions to environmentally focused organisations.

Rolling out green measures not only reaps economic benefits, such as cost savings. It also makes a positive impact and promotes good corporate behaviour.

I therefore urge businesses to prioritise sustainability as a business objective, not merely as a component of corporate social responsibility.

First, businesses can put in place more flexible packaging methods for their products to reduce the need for excessive packaging.

For example, bakery chain BreadTalk is testing a new food bag that eliminates the need to store individual bread items in separate bags. This reduces the amount of single-use plastic packaging for consumer products.

Second, businesses can seek new ways to optimise packaging. Greenpac is a Singapore green-packaging company that offers customised and environmentally friendly packaging solutions. Its designs allow for 20 to 60 per cent of material savings. Clients enjoy lower freight costs and less packaging waste is generated in the process.

Third, businesses can consider seeking advice from environmental consultancy groups, such as Paia Consulting, So Now Asia, Sustainable Living Lab and GA Circular.

They specialise in helping companies to roll out sustainability solutions. Other environmentally focused non-profit organisations, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), also work actively with businesses to reduce waste through life-cycle assessments. These assessments are a common technique to evaluate the environmental impact associated with all life stages of a product or service.

WWF’s Plastic ACTion initiative aims to enable businesses across industries to reduce plastic use. More than 270 food-and-beverage outlets have phased out plastic straws as part of the initiative.

Meanwhile, the National Environment Agency is introducing a mandatory packaging-reporting exercise involving Singapore-based manufacturers and retailers. Registration begins next year and their first reports are due in 2021.

Companies need to take greater responsibility for their packaging waste.

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