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Pro Carton is delighted to feature articles from our sponsors of the Pro Carton Student Video Award 2025
Recyclability vs. Compostability? Can’t we have both?
Recyclability vs. Compostability? Can’t we have both?
In today’s world, most companies are adding new chapters in sustainability through packaging design, innovation and persistence to meet customer demands. There are two main paths that packaging is taking, recyclability and compostability. Both have their merits based on where you live and what type of packaging you are purchasing. The two are generally seen unnecessarily competing in the marketplace to increase their popularity, but actually they work both hand in hand, to provide the end user with multiple end of life options rather than choosing only one.
As Metpack, we are working towards packaging solutions that can provide the best of both worlds, creating biodegradable, home compostable products that are also recyclable. This is not about a marketing perspective, it’s simply about creating a solution while simply avoiding a discussion. But why?
Recyclability is crucial in products with regular, efficient collection schemes. Europe has the highest rate of recycling in paper and paperboard based packaging. That being said, recycling numbers for most of the barrier coated packaging is exceptionally low. Of course the volumes are much less significant compared to conventional packaging, yet still we have to find an answer. No packaging should be left behind.
Compostability would need a compost of some sort, hence the name suggests. USA is leading in this field, though several European countries are getting stronger also. There are two composting options, industrial (Where you would need a specialized facility) and home (Where you can use it within your home/backyard compost). These are all made up of biodegradable materials that even if you do not compost, will degrade in nature. The further advantage of home compostable materials is they do not include any persistant microplastics. This is a crucial point (Possibly an indismissable one) due to the microplastics crisis we have today.
The hidden mutual advantage of both is circularity. We don’t discuss this much, but both are exceptionally virtuous circularity options. In one (Recycling), you recycle and give a second chance to the precious fibers. In the latter (Compostability), you compost and the much needed fibers go back to nature, right where they came from, the soil. Therefore a kinship is established at this point, no fibers go to waste.
There is one more important aspect to both of these end of life options, traceability. It is upto packaging companies, consumers and overall the public to check the validity of the claims. We have seen many times different versions of greenwashing or claims without any basis. Luckily for us, the world has many certification bodies that are meticilously checking the claims of different packaging materials. It is good to be buying a package with environmental claims on it (And feels fulfilling), though it is also important to check if they are valid. I can claim I’m Superman, but still you have to check if I’m really a man of steel.
Combining the strengths of the two options would strategically benefit the packaging companies, end users as well as the environment. End of life choices should not be limited for the packaging materials. We have to do all we can to increase them to provide the consumers the chance to choose without creating any further concern to the environment.
For more information, please visit Metpack.
The case for collaboration in circular packaging innovation
The case for collaboration in circular packaging innovation
Krzysztof Krajewski, Chief Innovation & Sustainability Officer at RDM Group
The shift to circular packaging is picking up speed, but manufacturers still face huge, shared challenges: making packaging both functional and recyclable, keeping up with regulations, and pushing material innovation. The problem? Most don’t have all the tools or R&D capacity to solve this quickly, alone.
Rather than attempting to cover everything, companies often focus on a specific material or type of packaging, to position themselves to excel in that niche.
But focusing on one material, with its own properties, can impose constraints when it comes to developing new concepts or innovation. For example, a fibre-based container will never achieve the barrier properties of plastic packaging alone, just as rigid plastic cannot replicate the pure, natural profile of paper. Companies that attempt to master both domains face the dual challenge of competing against specialists who have spent decades optimising single-material solutions, working in “industrial silos” while also managing fundamentally different material engineering, value chains, recycling processes and infrastructure or regulatory requirements.
This is where collaboration comes in, bringing separate expertise together to benefit both companies to be able to deliver results that would not otherwise be possible. A great example of this is RDM Group’s recent collaboration with Ecopol to launch a fully recyclable, barrier board – a breakthrough solution for oxygen, aroma-sensitive and opening new possibilities for food-safe applications.
RDM Group and Ecopol: pilot product “Ecolaminate”
The collaboration between RDM Group and Ecopol demonstrates how cross-industry partnerships can address the technical challenges that have historically limited circular packaging solutions. By combining RDM’s expertise in recycled fibre cartonboard with Ecopol’s specialised biodegradable PVOH film technology, the partnership aims to tackle both structural and barrier requirements within a single recyclable system.
RDM Group brings decades of experience in fibre-based substrates and recycling infrastructure, providing the foundational material that enables end-of-life processing through existing waste streams. Ecopol contributes its transparent, water-soluble PVOH film technology, which delivers critical barrier properties against oxygen, grease, and mineral oils whilst maintaining recyclability and biodegradability. This complementary expertise allows the partnership to address applications requiring extended shelf-life and traditionally dominated by multi-layer laminates.
Collaboration as a way of hitting PPWR targets
Our partnership with Ecopol highlights how strategic collaborations can help overcome the complex challenges posed by the upcoming PPWR regulations. With key deadlines fast approaching, including recyclability by 2030 and large-scale recycling by 2035, innovations like fully recyclable PVOH-laminated cartons are becoming essential.
For businesses investing in sustainable packaging, choosing the right partners is just as important as the technology itself. Collaborating with packaging innovators ensures brands can adapt to evolving legislation while staying ahead of the curve.
And it doesn’t stop there – cross-industry partnerships must also extend to converters and brand-owners. Building value chains that can handle a wide variety of packaging formats is critical to making recycling easier and more accessible for consumers at scale.
Moving forward together
The path to circular packaging innovation cannot be walked alone. As regulatory requirements become increasingly stringent and consumer expectations continue to evolve, the companies that thrive will be those that recognise collaboration as a strategic imperative, not just an option.
The future belongs to partnerships that combine specialised expertise, shared infrastructure, and coordinated innovation. By embracing collaboration over competition in sustainability challenges, the packaging industry can accelerate the transition to truly circular solutions whilst maintaining the performance standards that modern commerce demands.
For more information, please visit RDM Group.
