In the Packaging People-Podcast speaks FKN Managing Director Martin Schröder with Matthias Laux about the future of the beverage carton, the new campaign Think Inside the Box, The challenges posed by the European packaging regulation PPWR - and why no circular economy will work without stable recycling companies.
Since June 2023 Martin Schröder Managing Director of the German Association of Cartonboard Packaging for Liquid Food Products (FKN) based in Berlin. In dialogue with Packaging People-Host Matthias Laux he takes stock of his first years in office - and emphasises how much potential there is in packaging that many have long taken for granted.
With the new information campaign „Think Inside the Box“ the association wants to raise awareness of the advantages of carton packaging and refute common prejudices.
Schröder points out, for example, that the beverage carton today state-of-the-art technology The result: lightweight, opaque, recyclable and from sustainable forestry. Around three quarters of the material consists of cardboard fibre - supplemented by barriers that ensure product protection and contribute to a long shelf life. „Thanks to this optimum product protection and long shelf life, we are also helping to prevent food waste“, says Schröder.
The industry is also more advanced than many believe when it comes to recycling. About the association companies Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc and Elopak and the recycling plant Palurec at the Chemical Park Knapsack, the beverage carton has long been part of a functioning cycle. In Germany, around 36,000 tonnes of plastic and aluminium from beverage cartons be processed.
„We want to clarify what makes the beverage carton better than other packaging solutions. We want to dispel myths and refute false claims. These are the main starting points of our new Think Inside the Box campaign, i.e. to think in new ways.“
With a view to the EU packaging regulation (PPWR) and the Disposable Plastics Fund Act Schröder is not sparing with his criticism. Many regulations are well-intentioned but impractical. „The PPWR will not be a success without flourishing recycling companies“, he warns. The goal of achieving a minimum proportion of recyclate in food packaging by 2030 is correct, but can only be realised if politicians ensure a functioning recyclate market.
Schröder sees false incentives in the Single-Use Plastic Fund Act: while the EU originally wanted to combat marine littering, packaging that does not even appear in the littering volume is now also being charged. According to studies, beverage cartons in Germany not even one per cent of carelessly disposed of packaging. Nevertheless, the industry has to dispose of around 30 million euros pay.
In the end, Schröder remains optimistic - not only about the technology, but also about the attitude of the industry: „We at the FKN fully support the objectives of the PPWR - but it can only work if it remains realistic.“ He is certain that the beverage carton has a long future ahead of it.
