SmartSolve was a proud sponsor of SPC Impact 2022, the flagship open event from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. This April, the SPC held their first in-person event since the pandemic began, and more than 700 packaging and sustainability professionals gathered to collaborate and share insights on sustainable packaging.
Josette Lee represented SmartSolve at the conference, and we’re sharing the takeaways she brought back to our team.
INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING TAKEAWAYS FROM SPC IMPACT 2022
SmartSolve Sponsored Packaging Sustainability Panel
SmartSolve was the presenting sponsor for the April 5th panel, “Reaching A Perfect Trifecta: Brands’ Goals, Manufacturing Innovation and Recovery Infrastructure.” In this session, brands and manufacturers spearheading creative initiatives shared their perspective on sustainable packaging solutions.
Consumers today have a more sophisticated understanding of packaging sustainability, which has accelerated the pace in which brands evolve their packaging. This has a trickle effect on packaging manufacturers and converters, who need to develop solutions at the speed and scale brands need, while still ensuring the recovery phase meets recyclability and/or compostability criteria and a great consumer experience. Attendees of this session were able to hear ways to come up with the best solutions when managing supply chain elements from industry leaders at the SPC, Conagra Brands and WestRock.
Sustainable Packaging Solutions for the Beauty Industry Was a Major Theme
A number of beauty and personal care brands have deployed reusable and refillable packaging programs around the world, and sustainability in the beauty world was large focus at SPC Impact 2022. Lee shares, “I was really impressed with the focus on clean beauty and the discussion about refillable containers changing the scope of the beauty industry. There are so many amazing properties with powder, and many brands could benefit from SmartSolve’s water-soluble packaging as they formulate new products like refill pouches.”
Sustainability leaders in the beauty industry are trying to change the game of how single-use sampling and packaging is used, and a combination of reusable and zero-waste packaging looks like the future.
SmartSolve Presented Pressure Sensitive Label Demonstration
SmartSolve’s interactive booth at SPC Impact gained a lot of attention with the demonstration of our water-soluble label material. SmartSolve pressure sensitive labels, unlike traditional labels, possess the unique added advantage of quickly and easily dissolving when coming into contact with water and agitation. The labels dissolve in 30 seconds or less in any water temperature, leave behind no adhesive residue and are perfect for reusable containers.
SmartSolve water soluble labels compliment the recycling “wash” process, leaving behind pure granulate with no adhesive residue, and improving the recyclability of PET plastics. The wash water from the test label variables indicates that the labels break down in the process and are removed from the surface of the PET flake.
“Overall, it was a great event with talented speakers. Vendors are reducing the amount of plastic used in containers and some are using biodegradable material on the outside of the plastic, but SmartSolve’s booth definitely stood out the most for its innovation,” says Lee.
ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING COALITION
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. Their mission is to bring sustainable packaging stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to packaging systems and lend an authoritative voice on issues related to packaging sustainability.
The SPC is the leading voice on packaging sustainability, and its members – including SmartSolve – are passionate about creating packaging that is good for people and good for the environment.
The SPC defines sustainable packaging as “beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its lifecycle; meets market criteria for both performance and cost; optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials; and is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles.”
If you’re interested in utilizing water-soluble materials to achieve more sustainable packaging processes, get in touch with SmartSolve today.
