CGF's golden design principles drive circularity in plastic packaging

        In collaboration with the Consumer Goods Forum, a cross-value chain organization of major brand owners, recyclers and plastics associations is developing a set of "Golden Design Principles" for sustainable packaging design. CGF (Consumer Goods Forum) released 9 "Golden Design Principles" guidelines in July 2021, aiming to accelerate the progress of "less plastic, better plastic", remove the disadvantages of plastic in the recycling and regeneration process, and achieve a circular economy for plastics, 100% recyclable and recyclable.

        The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) announced that it would discuss the development of the first global agreement to address the plastic crisis. The treaty was hailed as the "highly anticipated" environmental agreement since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, after which plastics once again made headlines.

        Packaging design is essential to reduce unnecessary packaging and ensure that plastic packaging is suitable for reuse or recycling at the end of its useful life. It is highlighted as a key priority in the draft resolution for the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Following the proliferation of technical design guidance in recent years, there is now an urgent need to converge on globally consistent design principles to enable a circular plastics economy. Following the proliferation of technical design guidance in recent years, there is now an urgent need to converge on globally consistent design principles to enable a circular plastics economy.

        In response to this need and in response to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has developed Gold Design Principles covering the vast majority of plastic packaging. Forty retailers, consumer brands and converters are working together in the CGF Plastic Waste Action Alliance to drive industry action on key themes that support the acceleration of the New Plastics Economy, including extended producer responsibility policies and new recycling technologies.

        The design workstream, co-led by Nestlé and Walmart, worked with industry experts, recyclers and plastics associations from more than 25 countries to develop the Golden Design Principles. Thirty-three leading multinational companies have now signed up to implement these rules across their plastic packaging portfolios by 2025.

        Across the industry, there are already some great examples of packaging design transformation in line with the Golden Design Principles. Following Golden Design Principle 6, Mars Food has collaborated with Amcor (both companies are members of the CGF Alliance) to launch the first food-safe mono-material microwaveable ready-to-eat packaging, increasing the recycling value of flexible plastic packaging and making it available to the public for the first time in a stand-up pouch format. This innovative design allows Mars ready-to-heat rice bags to maintain their shape, long shelf life, functionality and high safety standards, while adding the benefit of easier recycling. The recyclable mono-PP bag can be easily recycled in plastic collection streams that already exist in some European countries and is compatible with mechanical and chemical recycling. Mars accelerated the development of this innovation through rigorous testing at its UK production facilities, challenging what was previously thought possible throughout the testing and production process.

        The Golden Design Principles complement and expand the high-quality technical work and stakeholder coordination that has occurred over the years in cross-industry platforms and national level discussions. The principles provide a simple and actionable entry point to help companies prioritise and deliver the most important design changes across their plastic packaging portfolio, in line with technical guidance and local advice.