Wednesday, January 8, 2025
[conference] LET’S BEGIN AT THE END: Educating true recycling realities for all packaging components.
![[conference] LET’S BEGIN AT THE END: Educating true recycling realities for all packaging components.](https://mobicheckin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/events/67517eb94e797020e62fb2f9/blog_articles/677e89d7b6c890149140b27b/Capture-decran-2023-12-07-164750-650x220.jpg.jpg)
In the context of the AGEC law, European regulations stipulate that 100% of packaging must be recyclable by 2030.
How is the French luxury sector prepping for this deadline? The issue was debated by a panel of experts from Chanel and Rémy Cointreau along with industry associations Plastics Europe, Carton Ondulé de France and Citeo, at a dedicated session at Edition Spéciale by LUXE PACK.
In France, brands and suppliers are scrambling to prepare for the 100% recyclable packaging directive set to go into effect in 2030. Vincent Colard,
Materials R&D Director at Citeo, opened the roundtable with a note of optimism, explaining that the recycling rate in France has already breached
the 90% mark for household packaging. “We have 10 points to go, which is well within reach”.
Materials R&D Director at Citeo, opened the roundtable with a note of optimism, explaining that the recycling rate in France has already breached
the 90% mark for household packaging. “We have 10 points to go, which is well within reach”.
Kareen Desbouis, Director at Carton Ondulé de France, warned that household waste is just a portion of the bigger packaging picture in France. “For just under 1.2 million tons of paper/cardboard packaging that ends up in the consumer’s home, there is more than 3.8 million tons of transport packaging.”
Today we’re working towards a circular economy, but we need to work collectively: we’re talking about regulations coming into effect in 2030, that’s tomorrow!
Hélène VILLECROZE,
Head of Eco-Design at CHANEL Parfums Beauté
Head of Eco-Design at CHANEL Parfums Beauté
How to reach a 100% recycling rate? Create new streams for non-recyclable materials, or phase them out of packaging altogether? Both avenues are being explored. “Finding replacements for unrecyclable plastics like ABS are the subject of ongoing research,” Colard pointed out. “We’re also rationalizing our centers to be able to sort more materials with new recycling streams coming onboard, notably for plastics like polystyrene, PET trays and flexible PP.”
Luxury brands are tackling the issue in various ways. Chanel began “changing its mindset” regarding product end-of-life around five years ago, explained Hélène Villecroze, Head of Eco-Design at Chanel Parfums Beauté. “We started tracking where our products ended up and how to give precedence to recyclable materials”. By 2021, 70% of materials used by the brand were deemed to be “technically recyclable”. Villecroze remarked that more needs to be done. “A product’s design is also paramount as it can disrupt recycling due to size or to components that can’t be separated,” she added.
Sorting is indeed “the big issue”, retorted Jean-Yves Daclin, Managing Director France at Plastics Europe and luxury packaging poses specific
challenges: “Cosmetics products are often too small and fall through the collection mesh and are incinerated.” Monomaterial products need to be a priority – a mascara alone can contain up to seven different types of plastics – and brands need to steer away from over-decoration, which is a disruptor
challenges: “Cosmetics products are often too small and fall through the collection mesh and are incinerated.” Monomaterial products need to be a priority – a mascara alone can contain up to seven different types of plastics – and brands need to steer away from over-decoration, which is a disruptor
We can’t create an infinite number of recycling streams, so we must favor materials with an existing end-of-life sorting solution
Vincent COLARD,
Materials R&D Director at Citeo
Materials R&D Director at Citeo
Are next-gen materials the answer?
Innovations in ‘next-gen’ materials, while potentially less impactful than glass, plastic and metal, pose their own obstacles. “If there is no recycling stream to support a material, in time it will be banned.” Along with the fray of new materials popping up in the market, textiles, wood, stone and certain resins are also at risk. “We can’t create an infinite number of recycling streams, so we must favor materials with an existing end-of-life sorting solution,” notes Colard.
At spirits group Rémy Cointreau, the focus remains on glass. “We aren’t adopting material innovations that are non-recyclable, like the multi-layer
paper bottle; the harm that they can do to the recycling stream outweighs the benefits,” opined Thomas Decré, Rémy Cointreau Sustainable Packaging Innovation Manager.
“Today we’re working towards a circular economy, but we need to work collectively: we’re talking about regulations coming into effect in 2030, that’s tomorrow!” concluded Chanel’s Villecroze.
Innovations in ‘next-gen’ materials, while potentially less impactful than glass, plastic and metal, pose their own obstacles. “If there is no recycling stream to support a material, in time it will be banned.” Along with the fray of new materials popping up in the market, textiles, wood, stone and certain resins are also at risk. “We can’t create an infinite number of recycling streams, so we must favor materials with an existing end-of-life sorting solution,” notes Colard.
At spirits group Rémy Cointreau, the focus remains on glass. “We aren’t adopting material innovations that are non-recyclable, like the multi-layer
paper bottle; the harm that they can do to the recycling stream outweighs the benefits,” opined Thomas Decré, Rémy Cointreau Sustainable Packaging Innovation Manager.
“Today we’re working towards a circular economy, but we need to work collectively: we’re talking about regulations coming into effect in 2030, that’s tomorrow!” concluded Chanel’s Villecroze.
Article based on the conference LET’S BEGIN AT THE END: Educating true recycling realities for all packaging components. with the intervention of Vincent COLARD, Materials R&D Director – CITEO, Kareen DESBOUIS, Déléguée Générale – CARTON ONDULE DE FRANCE, Hélène VILLECROZE, Head of Eco-Design – CHANEL , Jean-Yves DACLIN, Directeur Général France – PLASTICS EUROPE, Thomas DECRE, Manager Innovation Packaging Durable – REMY COINTREAU.