Oswald Nahrungsmittel GmbH is a company that sells spice mixes, bouillons and sauces, as well as dessert ingredients and coffee. Typical for Oswald are the plastic can packaging. As part of the consulting provided by Reffnet , we worked with Carbotech AG to examine the packaging for its ecological optimization potential. It was important that the packaging continue to meet existing requirements after any potential optimization. These requirements included, for example, UV protection, first-opening guarantee, high airtightness, dimensional stability and consideration of the existing filling weight.
The packaging examined included three different can sizes (Piccolo, Mini, Standard) and a canister. They were evaluated with regard to their recyclability and their environmental impact.
Assessment and optimization potential of recyclability
When assessing recyclability, a distinction can be made between theoretical and actual recyclability. Theoretical recyclability refers only to compliance with the technical guidelines. It alone does not bring any ecological benefit. Only high-quality recycling and the reuse of the recyclate, i.e. the actual recyclability, creates this benefit. The actual recyclability refers to a specific market area, as it depends on the conditions prevailing in the given system, such as collection, sorting and recycling plants.
When evaluating the selected Oswald packaging, we first determined the theoretical recyclability on a scale from class A (recycling easily possible) to class F (no recyclability) with the help of a self-test tool (from RecyClass).
The three cans were classified in class B of the scale for theoretical recyclability, regardless of their size. In this class, packaging has some minor problems with regard to recyclability, but could possibly be managed in a closed loop. The canister, on the other hand, is only in class D, in which packaging has significant design flaws that have a major impact on recyclability.
Für alle Verpackungen wurden somit auch Optimierungspotentiale identifiziert. Eine Optimierung ist die Verwendung von nur einem Material für die gesamte Verpackung. Dies schliesst auch Deckel und Etiketten ein. Des Weiteren ist es für die Recyclingfähigkeit vorteilhaft, wenn die Etiketten einen Deckungsgrad von < 40 % aufweisen und mit wasserlöslichem Klebstoff auf dem Behälter aufgebracht wurden. So lassen sich die Etiketten leicht vom Behälter lösen im Recyclingprozess. Im Falle des Kessels besteht ein weiteres grosses Hindernis darin, dass dieser mit einem russhaltigen (Carbon Black) Masterbatch eingefärbt wurde. Ein Farbwechsel würde die theoretische Recyclingfähigkeit erhöhen.
We assessed the actual recyclability on the basis of the locally available collection and recycling structures. In Switzerland in 2020, this was not yet the case for all four types of packaging. The problem with the plastic cans is the lack of collection. In addition, as already determined for the theoretical recyclability, the carbon black masterbatch in the canister poses an obstacle, as it cannot be sorted using near-infrared (NIR).
Consideration of environmental impacts
We determined the environmental impacts using the ecological scarcity method. This includes various criteria such as climate impact, damage to human health and the ecosystem, and resource requirements. The environmental impacts are summarized in a single key figure. This indicator is expressed in environmental impact points [UBP].
When considering the environmental impact, it plays a major role whether this is considered per packaging unit or per filling quantity. Due to the different sizes and the associated different amounts of material, the kettle with the largest material volume has the greatest environmental impact in absolute terms. However, the exact opposite is true when the impact is considered per liter of filling quantity. Here, the kettle performs best, while the piccolo can has the highest environmental impact. However, all containers have a lower environmental impact when they are recycled than when they are incinerated in the municipal waste incineration plant. This shows that promoting the collection of plastic cans would be a step towards closing the loop and reducing the environmental impact.