Biofore-Magazine-2021

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B IG P ICTURE

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For Ylipoti, important lifecycle aspects to consider include the material a product’s packaging is made from, the volume of materials used, the product safety and what will happen to the product once the consumer has finished with it. “We always keep our sustainability targets closely in mind. Firstly, one of our targets for 2025 is to reduce plastic use by 20%,” she says. “By then we also aim to use 80% of PCR plastics (plastic made from post-consumer recycled materials) and bio-based materials. We also use widely recyclable materials in all packaging applications we can. If you have two different packaging components, you also really have to think about how they will be recycled together, and if they can be separated.” However, making something more sustainable can sometimes im pact the visual design of a product, which can matter a lot to other stakeholders in themanufacturing process. “Purewhite colour is difficult to achievewithmechanically recycled PCR plastic,” she says. “So, we have to communicate with our design team from the very beginning on which colours would best work with the selected packaging type.” Byworking together closely fromthe be ginning, the teams can try to ensure that the final products retain the high-quality feel that many consumers want. “If we keep packaging sustainability targets in mind from the very beginning, we can come up with something new. For example, if we can’t achieve a white colour, could we use a pale pink instead?” The label materials can also affect a product’s sustainability, as choosing the wrong material for the labelling can cause the container to be sorted to the wrongmaterial stream in the recycling plant. One solution to this problem has been UPM Raflatac’s wood-based Forest FilmPP label material, which ismade fromsustainable sources and has been used in the packaging for Lumene Group’s Cutrin hair mask, which is packed into a PP jar. “UPM suggested this material, and it was a really good choice be cause not only is it bio-based, but we could match the label to the jar,”

UPM and Aalto Design Factory take sustainable design to the next level The aim of research project, is to study how sustainability can be promoted from the earliest stages of product and service design and development. The project is part of UPM’s Share and Care programme, and the results of the study will be shared to advance co-creation and innovation in sustainable design. UPM is already a frontrunner in this space with many of its solutions being used by designers to replace fossil-based materials used in products. For instance, UPM Raflatac is the second-largest producer of self-adhesive label materials worldwide. It offers innovative and sustainable self-adhesive label materials for branding and promotion and information labelling in the food, beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical and logistic segments. Meanwhile, with paper mills in China, Finland and Germany, UPM Specialty Papers offers labelling and packaging materials for labelling, commercial siliconising, packaging and printing. The wood raw material comes from sustainably managed forests, helping improve recyclability across a variety of end-uses. Design+Sustainability, Aalto Design Factory’s

Ylipoti says. “So, once the packaging materials are being sorted in the plastic recycling plant and it is being placed in the recycling streams, the correct streamwill have already been detect ed from the label.” Lastly, Ylipoti notes that it’s important to make it as easy as possible for the consumer to recycle the product, so detailed recycling guides are available for every single product available on the Lumene eComwebsite. “Our number-one thing is that we want to support the circular economy,” she says. “We really feel that packag ing should have a second life after us.” Overall, she believes the industry needs to move towards using modern, sustainable ma

“As designers, we can communicate to the consumer what materials are and what sustainability means.”

terials, and creating lighter packaging. “For example, it’s always been standard that weights are added to lipstick packs,” she says. “But I think that’s something we’re moving away from, as we all know we shouldn’t be using excess materials anymore.” Creating demand for sustainability So, howdo the experts expect our understanding of sustainable design to evolve in the future? “You’ve got the obvious aspects, such as ma terials, efficiency, shipping and distribution,” says Felty. “But another definition is that effective design is sustainable design. The last thing we want is to produce designs that don’t sell and just go in the bin.” Fortunately, consumers are becoming more aware of the need to makemore sustainable purchases, so it’s likely that in the future, com panies canmarket their sustainability aspects as a selling point.

Björklund, for her part, says that the concept of sustainability needs to expand to be part of all the products a companymakes. “In a lot of companies, there is a special product line that is sustain able, or maybe they have a responsibility initiative. But it’s not baked into every product, every service, yet,” Björklund says. She adds that, instead of waiting for consumer demand to drive this transformation, designers and suppliers can help push this forward internally. According toBjörklund, UPM, which is partneringwith her faculty, is helping with this process not just by developing sustainable materials, but also by taking an interest in the entire life cycle of the products they become. “As designers, we can communicate to the consumer what mater ials are andwhat sustainabilitymeans,” she says. “And this way, we can help create that demand ourselves.”

Packaging needs to be both sustainable and beautiful.