Keeping the consequences of climate catastrophe to a minimum and preserving our earth as a place worth living in is one of our greatest challenges. This includes, among other things, waste reduction or, better, waste avoidance. Politicians have recognized that this should also be enshrined in law and have already created at least a few basic principles. Since July 2021, when a corresponding ordinance came into force, it is now official that products made of single-use plastic are a thing of the past. The legislative initiative for the Single-Use Plastic Ban Ordinance (In German: EWKVerbotsV) is the first measure to implement Directive (EU) 2019/904 - a long overdue step with regard to our environment. From now on, manufacturers of disposable products for which environmentally friendly alternatives already exist must switch to these alternatives or offer reusable solutions. This classically affects online mail order and out-of-home sales in the catering industry. These are two areas that have been in particularly high demand during the pandemic.
But environmentally friendly alternatives are also urgently needed for other types of products and packaging. With the help of new manufacturing technologies, for example, plastic can be replaced by recycled paper or other fibers that are more ecologically compatible. The maxim here is to use as little material as possible without sacrificing important packaging functions such as product protection or storage/transport. But advertising materials and merchandise supports at the PoS should also be produced in an environmentally compatible manner, for example using recycled materials. Displays made of wood or bamboo can also be used here. This also makes for a visually high-quality brand image and may even please customers.
According to a study by the “Initiative for Digital Trade Communication” (in German: Initiative Digitale Handelskommunikation or IDH), 86 percent of customers are (very) interested in sustainability. In that, 80 percent have paid (even) more attention to environmentally conscious behavior in recent years. However, 81 percent of those surveyed also expect companies to ascribe greater importance to sustainability. In fact, more than half of those surveyed (56 percent) believe that their sustainability efforts are still too limited. This can be taken as an appeal to everyone to do more; perhaps to be even more innovative. And in this way, hopefully, to preserve our planet for future generations.
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