1-Can you tell us about your position at Ferrero in a few words? And about your mission within the Packaging WG at the ANIA?
As Director of External Relations for Ferrero in France, I am responsible for institutional affairs, relations with our stakeholders and corporate social responsibility. It is in these respects that I joined the ANIA’s Packaging WG which combines these three responsibilities. As co-chair of this working group, I am convinced that it is only collectively that we will find pragmatic, achievable and impactful solutions to the challenge of implementing a true circular economy for packaging.
2-You took part in the round table discussion at our symposium co-organized by the CNE and Symop packaging machines on the 15th of December 2021 on the theme of “Packaging and Machines: Together, let’s speed up the transition!
a- What did you learn from this event supported by the French Ministry of Industry (topics covered, new information, etc.)?
The theme itself is already very eloquent: we must speed up the transition together! The collective aspect is crucial for the success of our projects. The Minister of Industry has made it clear: France is in the top 3 in Europe for packaging consumption, 2nd for plastic. We must therefore all do our part to make this transition a success. The challenge lies in the collective, and this notion is well known in the agri-food industry, since we represent more than 15,000 companies, 98% of which are SMEs! This means that we must bring on board as many individuals with their own business models, constraints and cultures, in cooperation with the players in the packaging sector, recyclers and machine manufacturers in particular.
b- What are the key messages readers should take away from this roundtable as the pace of Right Packaging accelerates?
If we only consider the environmental impact, the best waste is the one we do not produce. Reducing packaging is of course a lever, but we must not lose sight of the function of packaging, which is above all to protect. Therefore, I believe that Right Packaging is the right approach: useful packaging that protects, ensures product safety, can be in contact with food products, uses little material, has a sustainable process and is truly recyclable. Among the priority subjects, it seems to me that the subject of small packaging is an area of progress to be explored, especially considering the commitments to use little material. There is a paradox here that needs to be managed so that this packaging can be sorted, collected in the sorting centers and recycled.
c- How can the CNE, in association with Symop, contribute to accelerating projects in order to sustain the impetus generated by the symposium?
The CNE has already clearly identified the collective challenge of packaging. We need to continue along this path and continue to look for the best technical solutions and make them available to as many people as possible in order to achieve this circular economy ambition. To move away from a linear model, we need to develop innovations that serve everyone. Chemical recycling seems promising, but we need to accelerate research and development for applications that serve to reproduce food contact packaging.
3-What are the current “packaging” issues that the ANIA Packaging WG considers to be priorities and that the CNE could investigate in its working groups?
The collective will must inspire our work. The subject of packaging is not just a matter for large groups. We need to give all companies, whatever their size, the means to set up systems to innovate with regard to packaging and to integrate them into a virtuous sector. This requires accessible technical solutions and aid, particularly from ADEME, which is already doing a remarkable job of supporting companies.
