Flexible plastic packaging has recycling challenges but is popular in the marketplace, protecting food while being lightweight and reducing other environmental impacts.
Graham Houlder, the director of the European industry group Ceflex, said they want to see the treaty endorse extended producer responsibility legislation and global packaging design standards to deal with recycling challenges. The prominence of flexibles like pouches on grocery shelves — it packages about half the food in Europe and elsewhere — suggests the treaty will have to consider the packaging format.