MONTHS after the UK’s ban on single-use EPS/XPS foodservice packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) said it believes there’s still work to do in educating businesses about the differences between EPS/XPS packaging and recyclable alternatives.
Despite the ban, reports have revealed some customers are still unknowingly being sold packaging that is no longer legal. kp, a specialist in thermoformed trays and rigid films for form, fill and seal applications, as well as flexible barrier and stretch films, is urging the food and packaging industries to improve awareness in this area, to support the fight against linear packaging waste streams.
Sally Molyneux, regional sales director UK & Ireland at kp, said, “While the ban has been rolled out, the market has seen reports of some wholesalers continuing to sell outlawed EPS/XPS packaging. In many cases, the food business using these may not even be aware of the issue, and the bottom line is that both they and the consumers they sell to are being misled. That’s why we are pressing DEFRA to find out what more could be done to prevent this. Our mission is to bust packaging myths and to protect wholesalers, foodservice businesses and consumers alike.”
kp Infinity packs are labelled with recycling code 5, shown on each individual unit inside the recognised recycling symbol. This confirms its EPP structure, and that it’s widely recyclable in standard PP waste streams, and fully compliant as a result. By contrast, EPS or XPS packaging is labelled with recycling code 6. This indicates a packaging material that is no longer legal in the UK as a foodservice packaging material.
Vincent Gass, VP of marketing & innovation at kp, added, “Now that the UK’s EPS/XPS ban is in effect, the onus is on foodservice businesses to adopt suitable alternatives. There is significant risk of bodies such as Trading Standards clamping down on companies that are still stocking and selling this now-banned packaging material, whether they’re aware of the ban or not. With high-performance alternatives like kp Infinity widely available, that’s a totally avoidable financial risk.”
