BIOPLASTICS

In the world of green economy and recycle, bioplastics are conquering the attention of companies. However, they are not well known. 

Contrary to what people think, they are not typical plastics but a large quantity of different materials. They are considered the future in the manufacturing and plastic industry because we need a drastic reduction in plastic trash. Bioplastics use biomass and they are biobased and biodegradable.

As marketing increases and tries to inform the final consumer, the result is a particular attention to the packaging of a product. In fact, clients do not know the difference between traditional plastic and bioplastics but then they are willing to spend more money if they judge that a packaging is not sustainable. 

However, bioplastics are not the solutions because there are issues related to their production and effective recycle. 

In fact, biodegradable plastic means that they are biodegradable only in a controlled environment with particular temperature conditions. Furthermore, they often finish in landfill sites in which plastic is still burned. 

Another problem is the statement “100% recyclable” because it is not true that all the plastic produced will be recycled. In fact, the problem is the quantity used in order to create perfect packaging. But their life is short and parts of different packaging cannot have another life because they are a perfect fit for a specific product. 

Source: Eco-paper inner packaging

In any case, the purpose is to substitute mainstream tools such as disposable crockery with bioplastic material. An obstacle could be the cost of production which is higher than traditional plastic. However, the law is becoming more restricted, so companies need to consider this solution because plastic’s days are numbered. 

Sources: 

https://www.european-bioplastics.org/bioplastics/ 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/are-bioplastics-made-from-plants-better-for-environment-ocean-plastic 

https://www.greenpeace.org/italy/storia/6225/bioplastiche-packaging-sostenibile-carta-tutte-le-false-alternative-alla-plastica/ 

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Eco-design

Eco-design products combine aesthetic taste with environmental awareness. This trend is increasingly widespread and embraces how houses and buildings are designed and the field of furniture, favoring solutions that optimize space and take into account the context and the impact of each link in the production chain.

 

The field of sustainable design is in full evolution and goes towards innovation following precise concepts: reduction of waste, control of energy consumption and emissions, creative recycling, and reuse.

 

Talking about eco-design today means taking into account the entire life cycle of a piece of furniture: from its production to the methods of transport and distribution, to its final disposal. Considering the impact that an object will have on the environment also means keeping in mind the context in which it will be inserted and used, following the criterion of harmony in its broadest sense.

For a product to fully fall into the category of eco-design, it must have certain characteristics, starting with the materials with which it is made. The materials to be preferred are recycled, biodegradable, and reusable, but also durable and quality.

 

Another crucial aspect that allows the design to take on an increasingly important role in the transition underway to deal with the environmental crisis is its increasing accessibility. Being fully sustainable means, in fact, also being within the reach of a wide audience and not the privilege of a niche that can afford it. Only in this way can sustainable design become a lifestyle shared by all and part of a balance and circularity that leaves nothing and no one out. All this for the well-being of people and the well-being of the environment.

 

As already mentioned, a central aspect of eco-design is the materials used. They must be biodegradable, reusable, recyclable, and non-toxic. Their impact on the environment must also be as low as possible, both in terms of the production of the components and their final disposal.

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SAY YES TO ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS!

We can't continue to pollute by using plastic packaging produced using fossil fuels. This is where BOTTA Packaging steps in, finding new materials and solutions for this problem.

One of the biggest trends in the packaging industry is to use environmentally sustainable materials, produced from renewable sources that are then recyclable and biodegradable. The goal is to promote the use of eco-friendly packaging, safeguarding our environment in line with EU guidelines and regulations in favor of the use of eco-friendly materials and packaging. One of the most important reasons to choose eco-friendly packaging is that consumers are much more in favor of using eco-friendly materials that help make our planet more sustainable.

The latest eco-friendly materials are stone paper or mineral paper, packaging made from mushrooms, packaging made from algae, and finally, packaging made from corn.

Stone paper is made from stones containing calcium carbonate, such as building material residues, mixed with special resins to achieve the right consistency.

Packaging produced from mushrooms is an excellent alternative to polystyrene packaging: environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and compostable. It is produced from agricultural waste processed with mushroom mycelium.

Algae-based packaging is made from seaweed. They are a great alternative to plastic packaging. In addition, there is also an edible version.

To finish, corn-based packaging is made of a biodegradable material consisting of corn residues. They represent a completely bio-based material, which is why they are also referred to as bioplastics.

BOTTA packaging's products include:

– Corrugated paper-padded envelopes: 100% recyclable and composed of paper outside and inside;

– Eco-document pocket/wallet: an ecological and 100% recyclable solution to replace plastic document pockets;

– Eco Pluripaper: recyclable, biodegradable, non-slip, and adaptable protective embossed cardboard to protect and divide products throughout the supply chain;

– Eco-Sleeves: biodegradable, recyclable protective elastic cardboard made of bi-condensed hot foil.

This is how BOTTA Packaging approaches the use of eco-friendly materials, for a greener future.

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ECOFISH BOX

 

At fish markets and fishmongers, a lot of material is wasted and, above all, very often unsustainable and polluting material is used. Just think of the boxes that are used for fresh fish: they are made of materials that cannot be recycled and are often very polluting.

In recent years, however, we have seen the introduction of good circular economy practices in which paper and cardboard packaging, which is renewable and recyclable, becomes the alternative to the traditional materials used in this sector. Even companies in the fish industry are prioritizing sustainability to meet the demands of legislators and consumers. Increasingly discerning consumers are demanding more sustainable solutions with recyclable and renewable packaging. 

EcoFishBox is packaging for the transport of fresh and processed fish made of renewable fiber, an environmentally friendly alternative for the fish industry, where EPS (polystyrene) packaging is widely used.

Ice-packed fresh fish requires water resistance, and the structure of EcoFishBox is based on laminating the carton with a thin PET film that makes the pack watertight.

This box is delivered as a flat sheet of corrugated cardboard. The EcoFishBox takes up seven times less storage space than a traditional polystyrene box. The box can be formed by hand or by machine and can be customized by printing.

EcoFishBox is therefore a complete solution for fish packaging throughout the supply chain, including custom branded boxes and lids, automation, and ice packaging solutions. EcoFishBox helps to use fewer fossil resources and requires much less space in storage and transport, resulting in a reduced climate impact.

Thanks to EcoFishBox, the fish industry has a more sustainable supply chain by replacing fossil-based packaging with more sustainable solutions made of mainly renewable materials.

EcoFishBox is an example of how the industry is developing by increasingly looking for renewable and recyclable solutions that have less impact on the environment.

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PAPER WASTE FALSE FRIENDS

 

Today, the urban separate collection of paper and cardboard stands at about 2 million 900 thousand tons. However, some products deceive citizens: the so-called false friends of paper.

PAPER WAST: MIND THE FALSE FRIENDS

The false friends of paper that most confuse citizens when it is time to sort waste are receipts and takeaway pizza boxes. 

The receipt does not go in the separate collection of paper and cardboard because the material of which it is made bothers the recycling processes. The most common receipts, in fact, are made with a thermal paper whose components react to heat, generating problems in the recycling phases. 

Pizza boxes, on the other hand, could be thrown in the paper but only if they are neither dirty nor greasy. To be sorted into the paper they must be perfectly clean, and this happens in rare cases. So, even if they are just a little dirty, pizza boxes should not be thrown in the paper!

There are other materials, such as adhesive tapes, staples, and other non-cellulosic materials (e.g. the cellophane bag that wraps magazines) that should not be separated with paper at all. Even handkerchiefs should not be sorted with paper: they are very difficult to recycle.

Another false friend of paper is greaseproof paper. Greaseproof paper used for wrapping cold cuts, cheese, and buns is not recyclable. Nor is paper that has been soiled by poisonous substances, such as paper soiled by paints and solvents, recyclable. This paper, in fact, contaminates recycled paper.

TIPS: 

In addition to false friends, there are also procedures to be followed: boxes must be flattened and compressed to reduce large packages into small pieces. Also, paper and cardboard should not be abandoned outside the containers. Two other rules to keep in mind are: do not throw the paper together with the plastic bag used to transport it to the container. Finally, do not put packaging with food or soil residues in the separate collection because they generate bad odors, hygiene, and health problems and contaminate recyclable paper. 

Here are the false friends of paper! Now that you have learned them you can make a better recycling collection, being careful about what is recyclable and what is not.

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RECYCLED PAPER JEWELLERY

 

Nowadays, the topic of recycling is increasingly present in all sectors. The world of fashion is also becoming more and more involved in green and sustainability issues. But it's not just about clothes anymore. Many different brands offer jewellery made from recycled paper.

SUSTAINABLE JEWELLERY: REUSE AND RECYCLE

Jewellery made from recycled paper is a new trend at the moment: it is both beautiful and environmentally friendly. We are talking about bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces, but not only. Recycled paper beads can be used to create beautiful bracelets and fashionable necklaces. These jewellery pieces are not only easy to buy but can also be made at home, saving all those newspapers and magazines that would otherwise be thrown away. Let's see how to make them.

DIY

Making paper jewellery, as well as being a fun way to pass the time, can also be a way to recycle newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes, and other pieces of coloured paper, without having to waste them unnecessarily. The easiest way to make jewellery is to start by making paper beads. 

There are several techniques for making paper crafts, such as the quilling technique, also known as paper filigree, which is used to make more refined and elegant paper jewellery. It consists of rolling up strips of coloured paper to make any kind of jewellery. An original and delicate way to create beautiful jewellery.

Another original way to make jewellery is to use the origami technique. You can make not only jewellery (with stiffer paper), but also geometric figures to decorate small corners of your home.

To make any kind of jewellery with paper, simply cut the paper into small squares and glue and roll them around a toothpick to create a hole in the bead. Once the small squares are dry, pull the beads off the toothpick and thread or thread a strong ribbon through them to create a necklace or bracelet.

You can now colour the beads with colours, glitter, and other decorations to make your jewellery unique. 

What are you waiting for? Recycling paper can be fun, and what better way than creating unique jewellery out of recycled paper?

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“PLASTISFERA”: A NEW THREAT IN THE OCEAN

Pelagos Sanctuary in Italy is in danger

The maritime area between Tuscany, Liguria, Corsica, and the French Riviera is known, among environmentalists, as “Pelagos Sanctuary”. This area has been piling up a shocking amount of plastic, which has created what is now called the “plastisphere”, a new sea ecosystem born around a mass of plastic waste. It covers about 80% of the area from the surface to the seafloor. It is composed of organisms that can be dangerous to fishes, birds, and mammals and it is threatening cetaceans.  

These organisms are dangerous its selves, but they can also develop bacteria, algae, and viruses potentially harmful for the marine inhabitants.  

What is PelagosFree?

PelagosFree is a project financed by various regions of Italy, the Principality of Monaco and France, and their participation with Legambiente and Expedition Med. It is a project born to study this “Plastisfera”, collecting information about its microbial communities, its consequences, and the potential damage to the ocean, the environment, and all the animal species. In this zone microplastic and textile fibers in very high percentages have been found in fishes; in shrimp and mussels, the presence of ingested plastic has reached 75%. 

So, it was necessary to start planning a scenario to find solutions. First of all, an awareness campaign was born to educate people about this very real problem. The campaign started from schools to raise awareness among young people; and from sea operators, such as fishing communities, because as they produce a large amount of waste due to their work that usually ends up in sea. Moreover, associations have been built up to free the Pelagos Sanctuary, starting from regional administrations to improve their management of urban waste. 

 
Plastic pollution facts

We have known for years that plastic is polluting our planet, especially seas and oceans; and we also know that in as many years the marine ecosystem will be full of plastic more than fishes if we do not act to find a solution now. 

This is only one of the many examples of plastic pollution consequences, and what mono-plastic causes not only to our environment but also to us. So, we need to find an urgent solution, that starts from the commitment and responsibility of everybody towards a more sustainable world. 

 

BOTTA Packaging is committed in offering environmentally friendly solutions, alternatives to plastic packaging, 👉click here

 

 

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CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A NEW VISION

Circular economy refers to a type of economy designed to be able to regenerate itself. This economy is in contrast to the linear economy, and its "take, make, dispose" model. Circular economy is based on the principle that the waste of a company becomes a resource for someone else, with sustainability as the main focus. 

Linear V. Circular economy

In a linear economy system, this does not happen: once consumption ends, so does the life cycle of the product, which becomes waste and must therefore be managed, consuming additional resources for disposal. 

Circular economy is an economic system designed to be self-regenerating, in which materials of biological origin are intended to be reintegrated into the biosphere, and technical materials must be designed to be revalued without entering the biosphere. Circular economy promotes a better use of resources based on the use of products rather than consumption and is characterized by the extension of the life cycle of products that leads to a valorization of waste.

What can a company do?

With this in mind, BOTTA Packaging is committed to the struggle towards a circular economy because cardboard is circular by nature: made from renewable sources, recyclable and biodegradable. We try not only to create recyclable products but also to raise awareness on reuse and recover properly after use. By doing so, a mechanism whereby you increase recycled content and post-consumer waste is created. Reducing the need for raw materials, emissions, and pollution are important for us. 

This virtuous circle created thanks to a circular economy has been completely absorbed by BOTTA Packaging, which is committed to improving on a daily basis in order to offer consumers products that are increasingly in line with this new vision. BOTTA Packaging is committed in paying greater attention to sustainability at all stages and widespread its vision.

Recycle is the key!

Among the company's products, Corrugated Cardboard represents the emblem of circular economy. It is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and produced from renewable sources.  Corrugated cardboard lends itself to being recycled and reused in different ways. Recycled fibers make up 88% of the raw material with which new packaging is made. 

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CRADLE TO CRADLE

 

What is cradle to cradle?

The Cradle to Cradle model refers to the idea of the circular economy, which involves a way of producing and consuming that is based on principles of sustainability. The circular economy requires products to be as durable and efficient as possible. As a result, the goal is to drastically reduce the production of waste. Even products that have lost their original function and would appear to be no longer usable are actually made of materials that can be reused.

From this perspective, we move from a linear model that ends in the dustbin, with products from cradle to grave, to a circular system, which presents goods from cradle to cradle. Compared to the linear model, the Cradle to Cradle model, after the phases of choice of raw materials, design, production, distribution, and consumption, provides two more steps: collection and recycling, which are missing in the cradle to grave model.

A new approach!

More specifically, the Cradle to Cradle model, also defined as "regenerative design" is an innovative and sustainable approach to product creation. Cradle to cradle models, therefore, aim to create a sustainable system that is respectful of life and future generations, as the name suggests, from the birth, or "cradle" of one generation to the next.

What can we do?

The concept of Cradle to Cradle, suggests that it is possible to return to a model of the design of some materials providing for their reintegration into nature once their use is over. This new model also proposes that it is possible to transform the sale of some products into a donation of services, a sort of ecological leasing able on the one hand to use better materials (because more reasoned and durable) and on the other to minimize costs.

BOTTA Packaging is very sensitive to the theme of Circular Economy and the Cradle to Cradle model. For this reason, the products are all aimed at recycling, to give paper and cardboard a new life, and to continue the path not towards the grave but new reuse.

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GREEN WASHING: A NEW BUSINESS LOOPHOLE

GREEN WASHING: A NEW BUSINESS LOOPHOLE

For some time now, companies are trying to convert to bio-sustainable products, in order to follow the needs and wishes of consumers, increasingly aware of making green choices to protect the environment. 

Even though this theme of sustainability is the main topic in business life, sometimes we have to be careful and wary of companies that show their sustainability but, in practice, their commitment to corporate sustainability is questionable. 

What is greenwashing?

“Greenwashing” is a term born from the fusion of two other words: Green, as we all know, is usually used to describe ecological products; and whitewashing a term that indicates the practice of hiding true facts about a situation. 

Thus, greenwashing is a negative corporate practice where companies show off their sustainability to provide a favorable corporate image but then, when it comes to the facts, the environmental impacts caused by production activities are significant. So, this includes all those companies and brands that expose their environmental awareness to the public to attract consumers and make them believe that they are making a sustainable purchase, while they do not fully inform them. 

Communication Vs. Greenwash

BOTTA Packaging chooses to communicate its products responsibly and clearly!  We work very hard to offer sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging, caring also about their performance and quality.  

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ITALY ON TOP

 In Italy, we are adopting different strategies and regulations to become a greener country.   There’s still so much to be done to become 100% sustainable. We are making significant progress, but we have to hurry and continue to move forward to solve this urgent environmental problem.  

Italy on top for recycling

However, our country has been recognized as the best among European countries for recycling. 

On March 17th, was celebrated world recycling day, an event born to promote recycling and raise awareness among citizens about our planet’s prevention. 

Recycling champions around Europe

On this day, GreenItaly report by Symbola foundation came out, reporting, in percentages, which among European countries are most committed to recycling; and surprisingly, Italy won first place!

As a European champion, we recycle 79.3% of waste, ahead of France (55.8%) and United Kingdom (50.5%), and our score is above the European average of 39.2%. 

If we speak about quantity, Italy ranks second after Germany, recycling 56.4 million tons of waste compared to 72.4 million tons of waste recycled in Germany (but still on the podium): 26 million of waste, the majority, are recycled plastic, glass, wood, and textiles; 14 million is mixed waste; 6 million is organic and green waste and 1.7 million are chemicals. Yet, another achievement to be proud of.

SDGs

Having achieved these results, Italy has already reached and overcome the goals imposed by the European Union set for 2030: recycling 65% of waste by 2025 and reach 70% by 2030. 

The effort of raising awareness, both to citizens and companies, is slowly beginning to bear its fruit. During the last five years, more than 400,000 Italian companies have focused and changed their production on green products, technologies, and packaging, about 1 in 3, and this helps to achieve the sustainable development goals set in the 2030 Agenda. 

What's next?

Although there’s still a long way to go, we are on the right track, and now all we need to do is get involved and engage ourselves, even more. 

 Choose to adopt packaging made out of papers such as cardboard boxes and other eco-packaging solutions could be one way to safeguard or planet and increase recycling rates; thus cardboard is circular by nature: from renewable resources, recyclable and biodegradable. 👉To know more click here

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING FOR ITALIANS

 

In recent years, Italians have become increasingly interested in the theme of environmental protection. Consumers recognize the responsibility of the role they play and are increasingly adapting to a green lifestyle and habits. 

Data confirm the "sustainability trend"

A research carried out by Nomisma in collaboration with the SpinLife-University of Padua shows how 33% of the population gives even more centrality to environmental sustainability following the health emergency. Consumption has also been affected: research shows how 75% of consumers prefer to buy from producers who choose raw materials of natural origin and sustainable packaging.

 In the specific case of the agro-food sector, research shows that 32% of the population defines the sustainability of the product based on the characteristics of the packaging. 

Main features to drive consumers' choice: 

•  The absence of overpackaging (55%);

•   Recyclability (43%);

•  The presence of raw materials from renewable sources or with reduced CO2 emissions (43%);

•  The presence of compostable or biodegradable material (41%);

•  The complete absence of plastic (32%).

The characteristics that packaging absolutely must-have for it to positively influence the consumer's purchasing process are:

 This new trend also concerns items sold in online shops, where there are often entire sections dedicated to the choice of packaging for shipping. Consumers are quickly getting used to and appreciating this new sensitivity, to the point of being willing to change their established purchasing habits.

Companies, to face this great change, can only adapt. Consumers are becoming increasingly attentive and the number of players on the market is growing all the time. What makes the difference is what revolves around the product, starting with the packaging, the first point of physical contact that the end consumer has with the product he is buying. The presence in the packaging of features that are not in line with the message that the company is trying to build could frustrate the efforts made on other fronts. It is, therefore, necessary to align with change, giving consumers what they want. Doing so will not only increase growth but first and foremost respect the environment for a greener world. 

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