Sustainable packaging for spray-applied products

Cambrian has responded to increasing demand for sustainable packaging with the launch of a new addition to its ZER0 range of 30% recycled plastic bottles. The UK-based packaging supplier has introduced six products under the range and will offer its popular Elan spray bottle in the 30% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material from mid-January 2022. See it here. Cambrian Packaging supplies plastic bottles, trigger heads and closures to a variety of sectors, and has made a number of recycled plastic bottles available before the Plastic Packaging Tax deadline of April 1, 2022. The 30% recycled Elan bottle is the first spray bottle to be added to this range and we expect a lot of interest. It will be available in 500ml and 750ml in white, made from 30% post-consumer recycled HDPE polymer and 70% standard HDPE.” “These bottles will all be exempt from April’s Plastic Packaging Tax and we’re adding more products to the range. I’d urge anyone who is looking for a sustainable packaging solution for a spray bottle to order free overnight samples now, so they are ready to place their order when the new Elan becomes available mid-January. “Trigger heads manufactured in the UK and Europe are also stocked to compliment the bottles – add them to your samples to complete the package.” Lloyd Harvey, R&D and Marketing Manager for Cambrian Packaging The ZER0 range already includes a 100ml tall HDPE Boston bottle, 150ml white flat shouldered cylindrical bottle, 250ml HDPE Boston, 500ml PET Tubular and 500ml PET Boston in standard and tall designs. What is sustainable packaging made from? When it comes to recycled plastic bottles, the most common PCR plastics used come from PET and HDPE items such as milk bottles and clear drinks bottles. These types of plastic are also really easy to recycle. By recycling these items for further use, we can avoid them going into landfill, which is why Cambrian has been doing a lot to raise consumer awareness of what kinds of plastic can and can’t be widely recycled. You can find out more information in our knowledge section here, under ‘An Overview of Recycling’. By saving these plastics for re-use, consumers can help to boost the availability of recyclate. Is sustainable packaging more expensive? Recycled polymer is more costly than standard virgin polymer due to the processes involved in its manufacture, so packaging made using this material usually carries a higher cost. It should be borne in mind that as of 1st April 2022, the Plastic Packaging Tax will add cost to standard packaging containing no recycled material, so this will influence any cost difference. The anticipated increase in demand for PCR polymer is expected to have an impact on the longer-term cost and availability of PCR polymer. This is another reason why more investment is needed to boost recycling rates and therefore the amount of recyclate available. Is there still a demand for recycled packaging? According to a report by WRAP, the average recycled content of packaging is 18%, double the rate in 2018. It states: “While some businesses may see a short-term benefit to switching to the cheaper virgin material, commitment to The UK Plastics Pact target and the upcoming Plastics Packaging Tax have seen demand remain strong and businesses continuing to specify recycled content in design.” It takes 75% less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled plastic compared with using ‘virgin’ materials. -WRAP, The UK Plastics Pact | Annual Report 2020/21 The same report states that nearly 9 in 10 people are regularly recycling, thanks to the fact that more types of plastic are able to be recycled now. Brands with an environmentally-friendly ethos will be drawn to Cambrian’s existing Ecycle™ range made from 100% recycled HDPE (rHDPE). View Ecycle™ here. The Plastic Packaging Tax is hoped to encourage more brands to use recycled content and will apply to packaging manufactured in, or imported into, the UK where the plastic used in its manufacture is less than 30% recycled. The rate of the tax will be £200 per metric tonne of plastic packaging. Cambrian has kept up to date with all the latest news and information about the Plastic Packaging Tax and has been keeping customers informed with its whitepaper on the subject and its monthly e-newsletter.

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