Posted 12.31.2011 by Gregory Moore
The end of one year and the beginning of another often marks a period of reflection for businesses and industries, and the packaging sector is no different.
In a recent article for the website Plastics Today, Tony Deligio makes some predictions for what 2012 has in store for plastics packaging. One of the most salient factors is the environment, he writes.
While lightweight primary packaging is reaching its tipping point — any less plastic in a water bottle and it may collapse — biobased polyehthylene terephthalate is taking center stage thanks to companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi that are striving to do away with petroleum-based packaging.
However, plastic bags are experiencing increasing resistance from interest groups and state governments. "In cash-strapped governments around the globe, where economic uncertainty and hyper-partisanship have paralyzed nearly all other legislating, bag bans or bag taxes seem to be the one piece of legislation that city councils, state houses and national governments the world over can pass," Deligio writes.
This month, Seattle added its name to that roster, with its city council passing a ban on plastic bags in grocery stores, department stores, clothing stores and convenience stores, among others, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.