The challenge of offering innovative packaging is more relevant than ever with the health crisis. Plastic packaging generates 2,2 million tons of waste on the market in France each year. Unfortunately, reuse is underdeveloped, and the recycling rate remains low (27%).
Following the recent ban on plastic cups, cotton swabs, and straws, France is embarking on a large-scale program. The law on the fight against waste and the circular economy, enacted in 2020, aims to phase out single-use plastic packaging by 2040.
A first 3R decree (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) sets an initial target of reducing single-use plastic packaging by 20% by 2025, with at least half achieved through reuse and recycling. The second objective is to move towards 100% recycling of single-use plastic packaging by January 1, 2025. The third is to eliminate single-use plastic packaging. useless », such as plastic blisters around batteries and light bulbs, by the end of 2025*.
To respond to this development, manufacturers and distributors are stepping up their efforts and moving in several directions: reducing packaging, optimizing it or replacing it with more sustainable alternatives, or simply eliminating it. The exhibitors of Natexpo are firmly part of these strong and necessary trends.
Bulk and zero-waste solutions
Bulk sales continue to grow, with the help of innovative solutions that simplify customer use as well as store management. Bric à Vrac, are three young, committed entrepreneurs who offer technological solutions to stores and consumers alike. Their automatic, connected silo displays the price and quantity in real time, and customers can find all the product information (allergens, storage instructions, expiration date) on their phone. In the same spirit, SmartVrac reinvents the bulk user experience by making it simple, hygienic, and seamless. Thanks to source weighing, there is no need to tare and then weigh containers. A label with a barcode and QR code is automatically printed once the product is picked up, allowing the consumer to find all the information once home. Retailers, for their part, benefit from much simpler logistics with pre-packaged silos. European experts for bulk stores, organic food stores, and large-scale distribution, Bulk Experts rely on their long experience, particularly alongside start-ups, to now offer a variety of solutions adapted to all store needs: silos, bins, furniture and other blenders for making oilseed purees on site.
Founded in 1988, CDS is an independent French family group, pioneer in bulk sales. Green bubble, Its premium line of Ecocert-certified cleaning products has been available in bulk since 1998, as has its Cosmébulles cosmetics brand, which is sold exclusively in bulk. The company also sells zero-waste accessories.
The rise of sustainable and compostable packaging
Awareness of the ubiquity of plastic, along with the new anti-waste law, is driving entrepreneurs to innovate. This is how beeswax films – bee wraps – emerged as a replacement for plastic food wrap. Embalvert offers them in different formats, all biodegradable after 18 to 24 months of use – when they are no longer waterproof. Under the leadership of its founder, Delphine, Apifilm® was able to be produced on a large scale. The SME also sells local products: honey candies, spreads and honeys as well as the Nous les Savons brand.
With yarns from Türkiye, certified Oeko-Tex 100 and GOTS, woven and printed in Spain then cut and packaged in a partner ESAT in Marseille, Another Way manufactures bee wraps with original designs. Eco-friendly laundry detergents and accessories are also part of its offering.
With the protection of around twenty patents with international coverage, Carbiolice has developed Evanesto®, a natural enzyme-based additive that can transform bioplastics into compost, even at home. This solution, which is immediately operational, is aimed at a wide market: food companies, flexible and rigid packaging manufacturers, as well as elected officials and local authorities. Cups, yogurt pots, trays, capsules, and other plastic films could thus join peelings and coffee grounds in composters!
Reducing logistics for manufacturers, the British Tyler Packaging LTD develops high-quality flexible food containers (pouches, bags, films, etc.), some of which are recyclable, others compostable.
CVP Packaging is committed to offering eco-designed packaging, all with one or more end-of-life recovery solutions: recycling (seven times maximum), re-use into another product (such as fleeces) or into energy. Its So green range uses bio-sourced materials (Plant PE) or revalued (RPET, RPP, RPE).
fimat, which is part of the association Great Market of Provence, manufactures compact cardboard packaging.
Fabrics made to last
Organic cotton and jute canvas are the foundation of ethically produced sustainable bags. A pioneer in France in the introduction of organic cotton bags, the company The Greens has since put its expertise in custom textile design at the service of businesses. Its product range extends from kitchen (tea towels, bags, reusable coffee filters, bee wraps) to bathroom (wipes, towels, gloves, vanity bags, etc.) as well as baby clothing and accessories. In 2018, it obtained WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) certification. Manufacturer and importer of cotton bags for over 20 years, CSI has developed partnerships with various brands. For Picard, the company created a 100% natural fiber and fair trade cotton insulated bag, which led to the filing of an exclusive patent for Europe, the USA, and Canada in 2010.
Also manufacturer and importer of eco-friendly bags (produced in India), Feel-India offers tote bags, pouches, large shopping bags, and pencil cases at wholesale prices. Capable of screen printing, digital printing, and transfer printing thanks to its Paris-based printing facility, the company adapts to all requests and has a permanent stock of over one million units.
The Polish guy Sakwabag, looking for distributors to expand its market, is developing organic cotton bags for bulk goods, fruit and vegetables as well as bread.
Focus on reuse
It is a fact that today the various containers are hardly reused – which was established by the deposit system, which is making a timid comeback. Use To this end, it has set up a circular supply chain for caterers, restaurateurs, distributors, and food manufacturers. Jars, bottles, jars, and dishes, whether glass or stainless steel, are deposited in the store once used. A store supplier collects them daily at the same time as it delivers its products, requiring no additional truck. The containers are taken to the washing plants, where they emerge impeccably clean.
Pot after pot... changing the world? This could be the credo of Little Pots, which elegantly reinvents glass containers. A fervent supporter of zero waste and homemade products, this start-up will soon offer its Chopette glass bottle with a lifetime guarantee.
*ecologie.gouv.fr