The Canadian Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) has decided to uphold the government’s order to list plastic-manufactured items (PMI) as “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).  The ruling means the Canadian government can continue to regulate single-use plastics, like bags, straws, and cutlery under CEPA. The decision has been met with doubt from the plastics industry and acclaim from environmental campaigners.  “The FCA’s decision is a landmark ruling for Canada and internationally. In a unanimous decision, the court recognized plastic pollution as a serious environmental and public health issue,” Anthony Merante, senior plastics campaigner at Oceana Canada, tells us.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has been selected as one of the winners of 2024 WorldStar awards for their ultralight pizza box concept developed together with Adara Pakkaus and other industry experts. A total of 435 entries from 41 countries were included in this year’s competition. An expert panel of international judges compared the entries to similar solutions from around the world and awarded the ones that were superior in their category and market and were better in execution or innovation, in comparison to others. The awarded ultralight pizza box solution, made of MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright, uses considerably less material than traditional solutions without compromising rigidity, function or print quality. The pizza box was about 38 per cent lighter and according to the life cycle analysis the pizza box’s carbon footprint was up to 50 per cent lower than those of traditional solutions made of recycled fibre. The environmental impact comparison was carried out on material and its production.*

Just as direct-to-consumer delivery has grown in popularity, so has consumer demand for eco-friendly packaging and products has increased. Packaging components ranging from the actual container (ex. box) that the product is shipped in, to the outer package wrap and void fill each must be considered. If you are committed to sustainability but still use foam or plastic void fill, it is time to explore eco-friendly alternatives. Void fill (sometimes called “box filler”) exists to fill the empty spaces in your packaging and protect your product from too much movement during the shipping process. Customers are used to getting packages filled with styrofoam peanuts, plastic air pillows, plastic bubble wrap, and so on. However, many of these methods are reliant on unsustainable materials. Additionally, they may demand an avoidable amount of messy packing space or disregard the customer's unboxing experience.