Due to multiple crises such as Covid and inflation, the topic of sustainability has been somewhat pushed into the background and with it the topic of wooden packaging. "However, sustainability will remain our task and wood is the only forward-looking option. After all, it is the only renewable raw material in the packaging industry that is either 100 per cent biodegradable, recyclable or CO2-neutral in terms of energy recovery," said Uwe Groll, Managing Director of GROW Germany, during his presentation at the DOGK in Düsseldorf.
GROW Germany is part of GROW International, the umbrella organisation for manufacturers of lightweight packaging made of wood from Spain, Italy, France, and Germany. GROW operates as an open organisation without sales tasks and was once created in response to the packaging regulations. "Today, wood recycling in Europe is market-driven and based on the high demand for recycled wood chips and biomass. There is a strong network of recycling centres and companies. In Germany alone, around ten million tonnes of waste wood are already recycled every year. Every empty crate is therefore not waste, but is returned to the cycle," says Groll. Heating with wood is also greenhouse gas-neutral and possible in a closed carbon cycle, whereas burning fossil fuels releases additional, climate-damaging CO₂.
Lightweight packaging made of wood has around half the global warming potential of cardboard packaging, which in turn is due to the significantly higher energy consumption for the production of cardboard compared to pure wooden packaging, Groll emphasised based on research results. He also pointed out the advantages of wooden packaging as a container for fruit and vegetables. "Wood is demonstrably the packaging solution that best accompanies fruit and vegetables over a longer transport route, which is mainly due to the good ventilation and the natural microclimate. The hygienically critical spraying of moisture at the POS to preserve the freshness of the goods is also unnecessary with wood, as wood naturally balances out moisture." Another argument is the appearance of wood, which is still strongly associated with a natural product and therefore contributes to the more attractive presentation of the fruit and vegetables to be marketed. "It's no coincidence that solutions with a wooden look are also appearing time and again in the field of plastic and cardboard packaging."
Uwe Groll at this year's DOGK in Düsseldorf.
Sustainable and contemporary
Following the new EU packaging regulation PPWR regarding the reduction of the environmental impact of packaging, wood will become more important again, Groll expects. "The PPWR stipulates closed cycles, and wood has a unique answer in this regard. In my view, a formal obligation to cascade utilisation (use of a raw material via various recycling stages and final energy recovery) would be particularly important." In the concluding discussion round, Groll addressed the question of the extent to which wooden crates can be combined in practice with automated picking systems - which are increasingly becoming standard in large food retail logistics centres. "Standardised wooden crates are produced automatically in large quantities and can therefore also be picked automatically. There are even hybrid solutions for mixed picking of wooden and plastic containers."
For more information:
Uwe Groll
GROW Verein für umweltfreundliche Holzverpackungen e.V.
Hauptstraße 98
67133 Maxdorf
Tel: 06237-929593
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.grow-deutschland.de