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Driven by consumer preferences, an increasing number of European companies are orienting towards a sustainable future. Credit: DesignRage via Shutterstock

Arecent survey by Eviosys, a European metal packaging company, reveals a significant shift in consumer and business attitudes towards sustainable packaging. 

The survey, which included more than 2,000 consumers and 600 business leaders across Europe, highlights a growing focus on environmentally friendly packaging solutions. 

European consumers are taking the lead in this movement with 59% expressing frustration with the deemed excessive use of plastic packaging in supermarkets. 

In fact, 63% of surveyed consumers recognise metal as a more sustainable alternative due to its infinite recyclability. 

A total of 57% are willing to pay more for products with sustainable packaging and 82% are more inclined to purchase a product if it is in metal packaging. 

In a new study titled “Amazon’s United States of Plastic,” environmental advocacy group Oceana has brought to light the increasing issue of plastic waste generated by Amazon in the United States. 

The report reveals that in 2022, Amazon was responsible for producing approximately 208 million pounds of plastic packaging waste, marking a significant 9.6% rise from the previous year. 

This amount of waste, primarily consisting of air pillows used in packaging, is enough to encircle the globe over 200 times, highlighting the vast scale of the problem. 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released a report on the use and impacts of single-use plastic products and packaging in the airline industry. Plastic is widely used in aviation due to its strength, lightness and ability to meet safety and security regulations. But the airline sector faces challenges associated with improved cabin waste performance and the need for sustainable alternatives. 

Technical and operational obstacles and the lack of harmonised and risk-based regulations present a significant barrier to improving recycling and the circularity of waste management. The absence of smart regulation continues to constrain airlines’ efforts to improve the sustainability of cabin operations. 

Retail giant Walmart Canada has introduced the free Walmart Blue Bag Recycling Program, powered by waste management company TerraCycle. 

Walmart Canada is the first major retailer in Canada to offer its customers a national pilot programme to recycle reusable shopping bags. Customers across Canada can send in their excess or damaged Walmart reusable blue shopping bags to help give them a second life. 

TerraCycle will take the eligible bags and either launder and donate them for reuse by charity partners, including Food Banks Canada, or recycle damaged bags into raw formats that manufacturers use to make new products such as plastic shipping pallets and outdoor furniture. 

Environmental non-profit organisation Greenpeace Africa has expressed its disappointment at the latest round of talks for a Global Plastics Treaty. 

The treaty seeks to end plastic pollution and forge an international and legally binding agreement by the end of 2024. 

A statement from Greenpeace Africa said: “There is a growing prospect that we may not have a robust plastics treaty as the Ottawa negotiation caved in to the interests of the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry.” 

The treaty is an agreement by heads of state, environment ministers and other representatives from UN member states to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by the end of 2024.