3R
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Our Team
    • Sustainability
    • Sustainable Futures Accelerator
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Product Stewardship
    • Sustainability Projects
    • Waste Assessment
    • Hazardous Waste Management
      • ChemCollect
      • MyHazWaste
    •  Compliance and Certification
    • ChemCollect
  • Work
  • Case Studies
  • News
  • Contact Us
3R Logo Yellow
Services
  • Overview
  • Product Stewardship
  • Sustainability Projects
  • Waste Assessment
  • Hazardous Waste Management
    • ChemCollect
    • MyHazWaste
  •  Compliance and Certification
  • ChemCollect
3R Logo Yellow
Work
  • Overview
3R CE Adele Rose and GM innovation Trevor Tutt
3R Logo Yellow
About Us
  • Overview
  • Our Team
  • Sustainability
  • Sustainable Futures Accelerator

Take a deep dive before you jump into fibre packaging

By Natalie Martin on August 22nd, 2021 in Circular Economy, Food and beverage, News
3R discusses the challenges for fibre packaging

In the world of packaging sustainability plastic gets plenty of attention, particularly from consumers, but it’s a little-known fact a popular alternative, fibre (cardboard and paper), faces challenges of its own.

Firstly though, it’s important not to equate the two as they have different properties, benefits and negative impacts. For example, plastic’s durability and light weight means in most cases it has a far smaller carbon footprint than fibre. However, fibre has almost no impact on the environment if littered.

Like plastic, one of New Zealand’s biggest challenges with fibre is a limited capacity to recycle it onshore. In fact, some 250,000 tonnes of fibre go overseas annually for recycling.

These overseas markets, again like plastic, have or are implementing stringent criteria on contamination, meaning options for fibre exports are drying up unless contamination can be reduced. There are other factors which make fibre recycling more difficult too, such limited outdoor storage time, and that it degrades if stockpiled for prolonged periods.

In New Zealand there is no standardised kerbside collection system, which itself leads to contamination or downgrading of the fibre.

Setting up onshore processing for fibre has a significant cost and lead time – far more than plastic – which sees processors considering an upgrade to sorting equipment to reduce contamination as the more viable option.

As a result, recycling fibre has become very expensive for some geographically isolated councils. In late 2020 Buller Council said it was discouraging residents from putting paper and cardboard out for recycling until the market improved.

There are however, some good examples of onshore solutions for fibre in New Zealand, such as Hawk Packaging in Hawke’s Bay. It uses fibre collected in the region to make products such as apple trays for the horticultural market.

All of this isn’t to say fibre can’t be used as a sustainable packaging material, but the entire lifecycle must be considered.  Plus, ensuring any mixed material layers which may reduce the recyclability of fibre are clearly labelled on packaging to help reduce contamination.

So, if you are considering using fibre packaging take a deeper dive to find out more about its pros and cons and how recyclable your packaging is.

The sixth in a series written for NZ Food Technology.

Natalie Martin is 3R Group’s Materials Innovation Manager
Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn

Previous 3R NZ produces a large amount of food waste

A golden opportunity ripe for the taking

Next Design is key to the circular economy

Design – the genesis of a circular economy

Browse articles:

Archives

Categories

3R

3R Group Limited

info@3r.co.nz
0508 374 768
+64 6 872 7235
ChemCollect: 0508 243 642
207 Karamu Road North, Hastings 4122
PO Box 1216, Hastings 4156
New Zealand

Quicklinks

  • About Us
  • Services
  • Work
  • Case Studies
  • News

Subscribe for latest updates

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Social Media

© Copyright 2022 3R Group Limited | Privacy Policy

Site by Agrarian + Caddie

ISO 14001:2015

Environmental management systems and safe work practices.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that certifies our commitment to environmental management systems and safe work practices.

Consistent with our environmental policy, the intended outcomes of our environmental management system include:

  • The enhancement of environmental performance;
  • The fulfilment of compliance obligations;
  • The achievement of environmental objectives.

Our ISO 14001:2015 certification includes 3R Operations, the Paint Product Stewardship Programmes, ChemCollect Service and the SeatSmart Child Car Seat Recycling Programme (owned and operated by 3R).

This certification is audited by TELARC.

ISO 45001:2018

Keeping our people safe, healthy and happy.

ISO 45001:2018 certification has been chosen to demonstrate the importance we place in caring for our people as we bring to life our values of Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Keeping our team safe, healthy and happy is a primary focus for our business. We feel that the work our operations staff do makes this particularly important. Their responsibilities can include collecting and processing paint; collecting chemicals; driving trucks around the country; and getting hands-on with work wherever needed.

3R received ISO 45001:2018 certification in 2021. The ISO 45001:2018 certificate is valid for 3 years and includes annual surveillance audits which provide a valuable framework for further growth.

What is a circular economy?

New Zealand is “one of the highest generators of waste per person in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)”. The way we currently produce and manage our waste is not sustainable.

The current economy in New Zealand is linear: this equates to a process of take-make-use-dispose. The aim of the government is to move towards a circular economy.

A circular economy can refer to either biological or technical materials.

With biological materials, the cycle could be defined as make-consume-enrich. In this cycle waste returns to the environment and enriches the land.

A technical materials cycle may be more like make-use-return. In a technical materials cycle waste is repurposed and used to make something new.

Whether you need help with biological materials, technical materials, or both; 3R can partner with your business to assess your current waste, then help you reduce it.