In this Spotlight, BOPET Films Europe and Searious Business introduce the Vita Nova project, which explores how changing the material composition of flexibles can improve their recyclability without losing pack performance, compromising on printing, or costing more.

Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to reduce plastic pollution is to eliminate single-use plastic and introduce long-lasting reusable packaging instead. But brands are still reluctant to abandon the low-cost convenience of grab-and-go. They find it hard to believe enough customers are willing to put in the extra time and effort to return packaging to stores to refill. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, reusable packaging could be a $10 billion opportunity.

In de serie Opinion Leaders gaan de brancheteams van Aeternus het gesprek aan met ondernemers over relevante ontwikkelingen in de branche. Dit keer over de ontwikkelingen in de verpakkingsbranche. Een gesprek met 2 experts Willemijn Peeters, CEO en founder van Searious Business en Remy Notten, commercieel directeur van Dijkstra Plastics B.V. Hun boodschap: Wie nu niet voor de lange termijn in duurzaamheid investeert, riskeert het om straks met lege handen te staan.

Maybe before companies spend millions on futuristic high-tech, they should go back to the drawing board and start sketching from a different perspective. Because there is no technology more powerful than the creative mind. Emma Samson, marketing manager of Searious Business discusses how simple design could trump high-tech recycling solutions.

Searious Business is a social enterprise that partners with major brands and organizations to reduce their plastic waste. Plastic pollution is a global crisis that must be solved at source. The company recently moved to a larger location at Strijp-S. “Our office is surrounded by other young dynamic start-up companies and that energy is contagious,” says Willemijn Peeters of Searious Business.

EPR, or Extended Producer Responsibility, is the idea that manufacturers should be responsible for the environmental impact of their products and packaging throughout their life cycle, even after they leave the factory gates. It shifts responsibility away from individual users, who, after all, are limited by their region’s recycling capabilities, placing it back with the people who have the power to change the system from within the producers.