1- Can you tell us a little about your job and Elipso’s missions?
ELIPSO is the trade association representing plastic packaging (rigid and flexible) producers in France. Operating throughout France, our companies together employ 38,000 people in 320 companies (mostly SMEs), and have a cumulated annual turnover of 8.1 billion euros.
Elipso’s role is to support companies in the development of their packaging, to spread knowledge about current and future regulations and to represent the plastic and flexible industry with public authorities.
2- These recent years, and especially 2020, with Covid, the industry of plastic packaging has had to show resilience: at the end of these troubled times, on what strengths of the field will you capitalize for Right Packaging, a key project for the Council?
Right Packaginf is a very essential notion for ELIPSO. However, this health crisis should not make us turn away from our objectives: as much packaging as needed, but as little as possible. Then, this notion of “right packaging” takes on its full meaning. We must concede, the opinion about packaging is changing. Their real functions of transportation, storage, and protection are highlighted again. The challenges of our time are many: safety of supply, contribution to society, access to safe food, eco-design of packaging, use of recycled materials and avoidance of unnecessary packaging, whatever the material chosen. The packaging field (all materials) needs to strengthen its commitment to this responsible approach, so we can avoid half-empty packaging of some products, as Foodwatch recently condemned. Packaging should be perfectly adjustable and fit the shape of the product with creativity and innovation. Forms, colors, innovations, plastic packaging has always stretched the limits of creativity.
Throughout this health crisis, it is essential that we meet consumers expectations while reminding the main advantages of packaging in general. Plastic packaging has an historical and crucial relevance in our society, that should be underlined by its functions of protection, preservation, extension of consumption date, fragmented or on-the-go consumption, and health safety overall the supply chain. We should highlight the unprecedented mobilization of our industry, together with the food industry, to keep the French economic activity on tracks and to supply large-scale distributors and citizens. Some manufacturers have shown solidarity and adjusted their production line to supply hospitals in gloves, hydro-alcoholic gels, protective visors, medical gowns. This health crisis temporarily brought our sector, and the agri-food industry to light.
In the same vein, which areas for improvement should be considered?
The packaging sector must focus even more on eco-design and develop recycling facilities in order to prove that packaging is not a waste but a resource, a wealth. To boost the recycling rate, an essential step is to raise more awareness within our fellow citizens about the sorting process and the value of packaging (regardless of the material used) with Citeo and Gestes Propres in particular. Getting the world of recycling more involved in our communications can also be an interesting challenge for our field.
Last Foodwatch campaign is totally in live with our approach and the sector’s commitments: regarding circular economy, a fully committed industry can only support fair packaging.
https://www.foodwatch.org/fr/sinformer/nos-campagnes/transparence-et-scandales/arnaques-sur-letiquette/petition-plein-de-vide/ (article in French)
3- For 23 years, the CNE has been working with its member partners for the Right Packaging, especially in the environmental sense, the health crisis of the moment also reminds us that packaging has health benefits, do you think that we can strengthen this axis at the CNE?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, packaging has been on the front line to protect consumers and food from contamination due to consumer handling. The bulk goods industry has experienced a drastic drop in turnover due to the sanitary constraints imposed by this unprecedented crisis. It appeared that informing consumers on the traceability of products, their composition, or their use by date, was essential to them.
4- As described by the CNE, packaging answers to new consumption patterns and distribution channels (e-commerce). Do you think flexible plastic packaging has a role to play – in e-commerce for instance?
Securing packaging transport to properly conserve perishable goods becomes more important as e-commerce is booming – even more so during lockdown. The health security of the delivered products must be guaranteed on a daily basis.
To support this dynamic, Elipso members have worked on rules everyone can follow. They are adapted to the ever-changing current and future logistics plans. This initiative aims to improve a regulatory framework that is now considered inadequate and unsuitable to effectively reduce food waste.
The qualification procedure for isothermal and refrigerating solutions adopted by Elipso is based on an obligation of results. It applies to isothermal or refrigerating solutions and systems – whether single-use or reusable – used for the short-term transport of perishable goods, and for transactions including a delivery service.
Follow this link to read a presentation of the Elipso procedure: http://www.elipso.org/e-commerce-emballages-isothermes-refrigerants/. (French only)
5- As a CNE administrator, what topics would you like the CNE to investigate in working groups?
The Foodwatch campaign denouncing half-empty packaging is utterly consistent with our approach and the industry’s commitments. The industry is fully committed to the circular economy and supports “the right packaging.”
The bulk goods theme also raises many questions, particularly on health and hygiene issues. Which applications can it be used for without endangering the health of the consumer?
The third major aspect the CNE must focus on is health security, and the key role of packaging in the daily lives of French people – with a reminder of the various functionalities of packaging.
