A Valuable Learning Experience in Sustainable Packaging

Today I had a very good learning experience regarding sustainable packaging materials.

A customer was looking for eco-friendly packaging, so I initially suggested these material structures:

• MDOPE + EVOH-PE
• MDOPE/BOPE/EVOH-PE
  

At that time, I believed these were suitable options because they fall under recyclable and compostable packaging categories. However, the customer specifically wanted a paper-based structure with “no plastic.”

Later, I discussed the requirement with Charles, and he clarified an important technical point for me:

• PE means Polyethylene
• And Polyethylene is still plastic
  

So even though those structures are recyclable or sustainable, they are still plastic-based materials.

After understanding this, I informed the customer:
I need a little time to discuss this with our technical team so I can recommend the most suitable structure for your requirement.

Then Charles suggested a more suitable structure:
Paper / Metallized Cellophane / PBS

That moment helped me clearly understand that in sustainable packaging:

• Recyclable
• Compostable
• Plastic-free
  

…are three different concepts. A material can be sustainable while still containing plastic.

This experience taught me several important things:

• It is very important to understand the customer's exact requirement
• “No plastic” does not simply mean recyclable
• Technical verification is always better before giving final confirmation
  

The good part is that we did not finalize incorrect information to the customer, and after consulting the technical team, we were able to provide the correct solution.

Every small experience like this helps us become better packaging professionals day by day.