DS Smith, the sustainable packaging company, today called on the EU to make good on the Circular Economy Package and to commit to its coherent implementation. The call was made as the company welcomed one of the Circular Economy Package’s lead architects, Finnish MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen, to its site in Tampere, Finland.
DS Smith used the visit to showcase its focus on sustainability across all sites managed by the FTSE 100 company. Experts highlighted examples of sustainable design with cardboard and the opportunities to substitute plastic with paper-based packaging. This includes a corrugated replacement to traditional EPS boxes, which can reduce CO2 transport emissions by up to 90% and is fully recyclable.
Peter Clayson, Head of Government and Community Affairs at DS Smith commented: “The ambition of the Circular Economy Plan and the implementation of the Circular Economy Package is a testament to progressive policy thinking. It must now be delivered by EU member states. It is imperative that these progressive policies are turned into tangible outcomes for European citizens, without localisation leading to fragmentation of the original ambition.
“DS Smith is reinforcing its commitment to Europe and the circular economy. Environmental issues do not recognise borders and so it is essential that we have a joined-up system with coherent definitions, labelling and metrics. Finland currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union and so we welcomed this opportunity to discuss the significant scope for innovative packaging design to contribute towards the development of a more circular economy across Europe.”
DS Smith is actively involved in the development of circular packaging design and has contributed to the current EU review of the Essential Requirements of Packaging and Packaging Waste. The company continues to advocate the separate collection of paper fibre to support improved paper recycling.
Sirpa Pietikäinen, Finnish Member of the European Parliament commented: “As the demand for resources continues to grow, climate change accelerates. It is critical that government and business work together to accelerate the pace of change. The Circular Economy Package and the implementation of the Single Use Plastic (SUP) Directive are just two examples of critical legislation that must be rolled out coherently across Europe. However, it is not enough to simply legislate – we need more examples of policy being translated into action as demonstrated today by DS Smith to further the objectives of the circular economy.”
In the week that the UK was scheduled to leave the EU prior to the ‘Flextension’ agreement, discussions focused on the need for coherent regulation to implement a true circular economy in Europe.
As e-commerce continues to grow and shopping habits change there has been an increased pressure on retailers, producers and manufacturers alike to reduce waste and decrease consumption of natural resources. This has led to cries for more innovative packaging solutions that are designed to be smarter and more sustainable. DS Smith operates a circular business model with packaging, paper and recycling operations that can collect and recycle used cardboard into a new box in only 14 days.
