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At DaklaPack, we continuously strive to become more sustainable through both our products and processes.
As a flexible plastic packaging manufacturer, DaklaPack understands the important role we play in advising and educating our customers about sustainability challenges and choices. Thus, we are trying to offer a holistic, transparent range of alternative sustainable packaging solutions.
Herby, we focus on the creation of mono-material packaging which can get recycled, the use of recycled content, bio-drop in plastics, compostable packaging and the use of alternative materials such as paper. In a thorough assessment of our products and the consideration of different infrastructures in Europe and the US, we have created our own six eco-labels. These eco-labels can help customers to easily identify sustainable packaging and understand why and in what means they differ from fossil fuel based plastic packaging.
Ecolabels
Our six eco-labels to easily identify sustainable packaging are:
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Designed for recycling (plastic)
First and foremost, it is important to highlight that this ecolabel does not guarantee that the product will be recycled. The actual recycling of a plastic product relies on a long chain of responsible decision making that starts with sustainable product design and ends with effective local recycling infrastructures. Products with this ecolabel include:
- Products that can be recycled with current recycling infrastructure.
- Products that are not yet recyclable, but are compatible with expected improvements to recycling infrastructure.
Designed for recycling (paper)
First and foremost, it is important to highlight that this ecolabel does not guarantee that the product will be recycled. The actual recycling of a paper product relies on a long chain of responsible decision making that starts with sustainable product design and ends with effective local recycling infrastructures.
Products with this ecolabel can be recycled in the current paper recycling infrastructures. In the US, paper recyclers distinguish between different paper products and their recyclability. As most of our products are paper bags or corrugated packaging the ecolabels consider the recommendation for those two product groups.
Click here for the criteria
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Recycled Content
Products with this ecolabel have been made partially or fully of previously recycled plastic or recycled paper. The percentage of recycled plastic content used in each product with this label is specified in the product’s properties descriptions.
Bio-based
Products with this ecolabel have been made with more than 90% renewable materials. This includes materials like cotton or jute, and bio-based plastic. Paper products are also bio-based but they were excluded from this label as they have their own ecolabel (see ‘Designed for recycling: Paper). Bio-based plastics are made from plants (for example sugarcane or corn) instead of fossil fuels, reducing the need to extract and refine oil and the associated environmental impacts.
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Designed for (industrial) composting
Products with this label biodegrade under certain conditions depending on their respective materials: plastic, paper, or jute.
Click here to read moreNot recyclable
Not all well designed packaging is recyclable. Some products are designed to meet certain technical capabilities that makes the packaging unrecyclable. We chose to include this ‘Not Recyclable’ among our other eco labels to be completely transparent and to build awareness of the recyclable products that may be suitable alternatives to products with this label. This label applies to both plastic and paper-based products.
Products with the ‘Not recyclable’ label:
- Products that cannot be recycled with current recycling infrastructure and are also not compatible with the expected improvements to the recycling infrastructure.
An environmentally friendly(er) product
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Frequently Asked Questions
Flexible plastic packaging has many sustainability advantages over rigid plastic packaging. When using flexible packaging, for example, less material is needed per product, and this reduces the need for plastic packaging per product. If you want to read more, click here.
In general, the recycling of flexible plastic proceeds as follows: collection, sorting and processing. If you want to read more about recycling, click here.
Bioplastic is a promising solution to reduce the negative impact of plastic on the environment. However, there is some confusion around the terms used when talking about bioplastic. They have different meanings and must be used carefully. If you want to read more about distinguishing bioplastics, click here.
There are a number of symbols on plastic packaging that are intended to indicate their recyclability. We explain four common recycling symbols. Click here for more information about the four most common symbols.
To check the recyclability of flexible plastic packaging products, you have to take a number of things into account, for example the packaging is not black, is larger than 5x5 cm., it may consist of PE. To read more about the recycling criteria, click here.
Find out here which types of plastic products are recyclable in the Netherlands, the US, the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Spain.
Recycled content refers to the amount of materials in a product from a waste stream. If those materials come from the manufacturing process, we call them pre-consumer recycled content (or post-industrial). If they are used by consumers after use, they are post-consumer recycled content (PCR). To read more about the benefits of recycled content, click here.
New plastic, also called virgin plastic, is plastic made from raw materials that do not contain any recycled content. The raw material of new plastics can consist of non-renewable fossil fuels (petroleum-based plastic) or renewable materials (bio-based plastic).
Recyclable packaging may inadvertently not be recyclable, but with a few simple decisions, packaging can be made optimally recyclable. When developing fully recyclable packaging, attention should be paid to; the additives, the choice of the possible label, the inks and glues used for the plastic packaging. To read more about inks, adhesives and varnishes, click here.
The recycling industry is constantly evolving and several companies and projects have announced new, extended recycling initiatives. If you want to read more, click here.
Coatings, lacquers and adhesives are used in paper and plastic packaging. There is consensus on the definitions. Short definitions can be found here.
When comparing plastic and paper packaging, it is important to consider the impact of both their production process and end-of-life. While virgin plastic is cheaper to produce, it is made from non-renewable fossil fuels. And while paper is made from renewable resources (usually wood fibers), the manufacturing process requires more water and energy than plastic. To read more about the differences, click here.
Every paper recycling mill is different and can consist of more or fewer steps in the production process. However, most mills follow the same basic steps for paper recycling. Click here to read these steps in detail.
Paper has one of the most extensive recycling systems, but of course it is also compostable as it is made from wood pulp. The choice between recycling or composting paper products depends on any additives to the paper (e.g. plastic, coatings) and how clean the paper used is. If you want to read more about this, click here.
To check the recyclability of paper packaging products, there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, the packaging must consist of at least 95% paper and the coating must only be applied on one side and be water-soluble. To read more about the criteria, click here.
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organization that promotes sustainable use of wood. When paper is FSC certified, it has been proven that it has been produced in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way. There are three FSC labels: FSC 100%; FSC Mix and FSC Recycled. If you want to learn more about their differences, click here.