Understanding the challenge: The need for a circular economy
In the world of materials science, the structure of a material is key to its function. The growing demand for new products generates a growing demand for new materials with improved sustainable properties that can withstand everyday applications at a commercial scale.
Over the last 50 years, global mineral extraction and waste production have skyrocketed1, causing multiple environmental crises. “Circular economy” thinking can help alleviate these crises by replacing “take-make-waste” patterns with an approach that keeps resources in a closed loop of use and reuse.
Genuine sustainability, however, involves more than minimising material inputs and outputs. For example, imagine a technology that could endlessly recycle a piece of packaging without any material losses. One might think that this would be in accordance with circular economy principles, and thus be regarded as sustainable. This hypothetical method may, though, have high energy demands, or perhaps it would require packaging to be transported to a distant processing centre. As a result, there would be inputs (energy, and the material used to create that energy) and outputs (pollution from energy use and transport) that would undermine its sustainability.
With this in mind, there are three areas where attention is required to ensure that materials and design are sustainable and aligned with a circular economy for packaging.
Questions that matter for a growing population
The world’s population is growing faster than ever, and to make sure we can continue to feed the planet – in a safer, more sustainable and more equitable way – it takes many voices and bright minds.
This short video highlights a few of the questions that our experts and those we collaborate with are asking to find tomorrow’s solutions.
Questions that matter for a growing population
The world’s population is growing faster than ever, and to make sure we can continue to feed the planet – in a safer, more sustainable and more equitable way – it takes many voices and bright minds.
This short video highlights a few of the questions that our experts and those we collaborate with are asking to find tomorrow’s solutions.
- United Nations Environment Programme. Global resources outlook: 2019.
- This means creating cartons that are fully made of renewable or recycled materials, that are responsibly sourced, therefore helping protect and restore our planet's climate, resources and biodiversity; contributing towards carbon-neutral production and distribution; are convenient and safe, therefore helping to enable a resilient food system; are fully recyclable.