Tearing Down the Mountain: The Path to Net Zero Packaging and a Sustainable Future

The clock is ticking and warning us of a clear challenge. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions has become the defining challenge of our time. The latest data from NASA and NOAA highlights the urgency of the situation. With CO2 levels consistently rising since 1850, we must take action to ensure a sustainable future for generations. Where do we start? In the packaging industry, for instance. The industry plays a significant role in our fight against climate change and highlights the urgency for a focus shift. Join us as we dive into the part of paper & cartons, glass, and plastics, in the journey towards a greener tomorrow.

Paper & carton

Paper is quickly emerging as a critical player in the fight against CO2 emissions. A recent study on the environmental impacts of packaging found that single-use paper packaging produces a lower carbon footprint and requires less water than reusable plastic packaging.

Leading the charge in sustainable packaging, Swedish fast-food chain Max Burgers has adopted PulPac’s fiber-forming technology to produce the Liplid, a dry-molded coffee lid with an 80% smaller carbon footprint than traditional lids. Tech giant Samsung is also making strides in reducing its carbon footprint through sustainable packaging. For example, its Eco-Package, made from recycled materials, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10,000 tons if each is reused in homes. Samsung is also committed to eliminating plastic from all mobile phone packaging by 2025 and is already reducing waste by improving the design of its TV LED Bar trays.

Glass

Glass comes with the potential of a sustainable packaging solution due to its infinite recyclability and the potential to make its manufacture and transportation carbon-free. The glass industry is taking bold steps toward a more sustainable future. Examples include FEVE and the European Container Glass Federation. It has set the world’s first large-scale hybrid electric furnace to run on 80% renewable electricity. In addition, the UK glass manufacturing company Encirc has partnered with Glass Futures to produce 100% PCR glass using energy from ultra-low-carbon biofuels made from organic waste. This has resulted in the world’s most sustainable bottle, with a carbon footprint 90% lower than standard glass packaging. These developments begin a bright and sustainable future for glass packaging.

Plastics

The push towards a more sustainable packaging future has seen recycled plastic rise to prominence as a lower CO2 output solution that saves on transportation emissions. Brands like Moët Hennessy’s Galoupet Nomade rosé are taking things further by launching “eco-flat” PET bottles made from 100% recycled materials. These bottles weigh less than glass and come with a flattened shape, reducing unused space and optimizing efficiency. However, putting the promising results aside, we must also note the limitations of relying too heavily on plastic packaging. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reported that 95% of plastic packaging is single-use, and only 2% can be recycled for one or two cycles without losing material quality. Research by the Ocean University of China even showed that increased microplastics could decrease the ability of microalgae plankton to remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. Therefore, the industry must find ways to balance sustainability with practicality in packaging.

Symrise 

By 2030, Symrise aims to operate climate positive and is reviewing its operations worldwide for compatibility and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our zero-waste strategy includes sustainable packaging measures such as waste reduction, reusability, and recycling. We’re already working with customers and suppliers to find innovative solutions, including paper bags instead of plastic, large barrels instead of small canisters, and reusable metal cups.

Ultimately, the most impactful way to reduce the harm caused by packaging leads through individual action. By making conscious choices to reduce our use of packaging, we can decrease the demand for it and help create a more sustainable future. So let’s take the first step toward a greener future by doing our part to reduce packaging waste.

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Climate Awareness in Consumer Products — The New Face of Sustainability

Sustainability. We hear this term all the time, but what does it even mean? The word itself holds various meanings on the environment or even relationships. One critical space is climate awareness. Changing our routines to impact our environment positively is a growing priority in many households today. With that, we gain a better understanding of products we use daily such as perfumes, detergents, and soaps. 

Climate Awareness Today

What is climate awareness? Climate awareness aims to make consumers more knowledgeable and encourage them to reverse human-caused climate destruction. Today, over 321 brands are recognized as climate-neutral certified. Collectively, these brands reduced their carbon emissions by 750,817 tons last year. Moreover, these brands are working to lessen emissions even more significantly in the years to come. 

Luckily, multiple hair care and body care products make the attitudes towards climate awareness so much easier to adopt. So, while the amount of climate-neutral and neutralized product solutions keeps growing and multiplying, sustainability becomes an even more integral aspect of our lives. 

Simply The Best

Take cult-favorite brand, OSEA. With most products formulated from clean seaweed skincare, this vegan and the cruelty-free brand has quickly risen to the upper echelon of the clean beauty ladder (even though it started up in 1996!). With potent products and sustainable efforts, popular products such as the Undaria Algae Oil continue to be a favorite among the celebrity crowd. With fans in the company of Victoria Beckham, Kourtney Kardashian, and even little sister (and beauty guru herself) Kylie Jenner, OSEA makes climate awareness a stylish and impactful choice. 

Seeking perfect products for babies and mothers that protect the planet too? Look no further than Wash With Water. Providing soaps (the 3-in-1 Baby Cleanser Sweetpea & Me, a number one seller since 2012) to lotions for babies, all your baby necessities can come at no price to the environment. With additional CBD-infused care for mom, the holistic rituals of Wash With Water make it a standout for anyone looking to incorporate more climate awareness into their routine. This one-stop shop has it all for any family. 

While shampoo is vital in many hair-care routines—new iterations, including soap-like bars, positively affect the planet by using plastic-free, natural, and vegan ingredients and packaging. We all wash our hair, and switching to a company like Superzero can reap huge benefits, like 80-90% lower carbon footprint huge benefits. The company founded in 2020 continues to innovate with its rendition of the purple conditioner bar, a typically tricky product to get right with the fickle nature of color-processed hair. With a variety of bars for frizzy, oily, even thinning strands, and so much more, Superzero proves that small is indeed mighty. 

The Future is Ours

Now, more than ever, the importance of protecting the resources we have left on Earth is the top priority for many. Whether living waste-free, becoming a vegan, or just participating in #MeatlessMonday, the small acts we offer can genuinely make a difference. Especially in our self-care and beauty routine, multitudes of products can now make carbon-neutral care easy and most impactful— actual positive climate-change actions we can take. 

With so many new and stylish options for climate awareness, which ones are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments!

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Crafting a natural Earl Grey Tea

Do you remember the first time you tried Earl Grey? We do. The citrusy scent instantly woke up the senses before the lips even touched the brim of the cup. Then the taste followed – a full-bodied black tea lingering on the palette. Elegant, rich, and refreshing. We later learned that the citrus taste came from the bergamot oil used to flavor traditional Chinese tea. Instantly, it became a good friend for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Earl Grey, reinvented

If you like Earl Grey as much as us, you may find yourself on a rainy day curling up next to the fireplace. You are wrapping yourself in a cuddly blanket, a cup of tea misting on the side. The exact right time has come to take a break and enjoy some me-time. For years, you have always been buying the same tea – your beloved Earl Grey tea. This traditional has become your favorite taste over the year. Now wait! The last time in the supermarket, a new Earl Grey variety has attracted you. On the packaging, you see ripe bergamot fruits. It also says made with natural ingredients only and “Bergamots from Calabria. The text promises an authentic and full-bodied taste of ripe and juicy bergamot fruits in combination with a well-balanced black tea note. This copy sounds very promising and makes you curious. So you decide to buy and test this new tea.

You are holding the cup of freshly brewed tea in your hands. You feel positively surprised by the smell. It reminds you immediately of your last vacation in Italy. You’ve been walking through the citrus fields. You start reading the ingredient list. It states – with natural Bergamot flavoring. What does this mean – flavored? It tastes purely genuine and authentic. You thought a flavoring probably tastes artificial? You check the tea bag. The transparent bag allows you to see all ingredients. You are looking for artificial-looking particles. Nil return! That Earl Grey has surprised you! And for this, it just became your new favorite tea.

The Making of Your New Favorite Tea

The journey of a premium product begins with quality sourcing. To make this particular Earl Grey, the bergamots come from the heart of Calabria in Italy. A group of trusted farmers grows the fruits sustainably. Our partner is the world market leader in bergamot oil production for the flavor and fragrance industry. They use state-of-the-art technology for citrus oil processing. This partnership, also involving the local university, drives the implementation of good agricultural practices to secure supply, guarantee the highest quality, and respect biodiversity and positively impact local communities. How to translate these high-quality raw materials now into a natural flavor solution?

The innovative technology, evogran^® coating, attains a truly natural encapsulation by applying the flavor – the bergamot oil – directly to the tea leaves. As a result, the taste of the bergamot lingers right on top of the tea leaves. The process avoids granules within the blend. This method also guarantees outstanding blending features for optimum taste. As a result you receive a tea with a premium natural appeal and an authentic taste experience.

Do you feel interested in trying this new variety? Do you call yourself a fan of Earl Grey tea? Tell us your favorite Earl Grey products! Leave us a comment below!

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The Wish for Naturalness

Does this feel familiar to you? Baking- banana-bread-daily had become a comforting routine to many of us. Now that we have left the quarantine stage, our interest in cooking and baking continues to grow. Globally, the pandemic influenced a whole new meal-prep trend—with more and more people cooking at home. Most of us have significantly heightened our concern regarding food ingredients, from formulation to production. While the last year has brought many challenges, we create opportunities (and even new hobbies!) out of obstacles. 

This perfectly summarizes the significant shifts the year 2020 heralded as traditional ways of living were entirely upended by the global Covid-19 pandemic. After almost two years of living through different new normals, adapted behaviors have become the current norms. With the hope of a post (or managed) pandemic world on the horizon, people are relooking at their values—finding the silver lining in challenges and exploring new interests.  

Health as a Top Priority

With that being said, a focus on all things natural stands top of mind for moving forward. While COVID-19 brings light to concerns, the emphasis on health continues to guide many consumers. We notice what we put into our bodies and how it affects us. Natural ingredients and taste help us feel confident and assured that we are making the best health decisions.  

At Symrise, we have understood this and always focus on providing technology combined with the ideals of nature. This way, we are addressing the demand for natural food that has grown significantly. So, allow us to introduce the code of nature Symrise’s global taste solution platform, which unlocks and amplifies the authentic taste of nature. A commitment to signature taste solutions made with the best of nature. 

The Symrise Promise

Symrise truly understands and creates natural and holistic flavorings and products by acting as a consumer-driven company. Analyzing consumer trends and developing natural taste experiences that consumers will love confirm we pursue the right track with our code of nature experience. Additionally, Symrise understands that to get the best ingredients, responsibly and sustainably sourced raw materials matter. As a result, we can provide natural tastes with unique flavor profiles by using our exclusive technologies and gentle preparation methods.

Does it come as a surprise to you that consumers accept long lists of ingredients as long as they can follow them (with emphasis on understanding them)? With this knowledge, Symrise’s all-encompassing code of nature approach supports food and beverage manufacturers in creating labels that consumers understand and trust—showing that pure ingredients genuinely make a difference.  

As in tomato sauce used for pasta dishes, for instance, the citrus fruit in your lemonade sipped on a hot summer’s day. Because more than ever, consumers want fresh ingredients at the center of all food purchases. In addition, they focus on food quality, and the maker occupies many consumers’ minds. That is why today, many of us consider food more than a mere fuel to propel them. Instead, we see it as knowledge, awareness, and a greater understanding of different cultures. And we have learned to appreciate better the process that comes with preparing a meal. As a result of COVID-19, consumers look for health-conscious foods and seek products that support a healthy lifestyle, with naturalness providing a key ingredient in all of this. 

What natural ingredients do you like to include when cooking? Let us know in the comments!

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