Yara introduces sustainable packaging

Plastic consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years and plastic production has doubled from 2000 to 2019, reaching 460 million t. Plastic not only pollutes the environment but also amplifies climate change by contributing to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from production to waste management. In agriculture, widespread and long-term use of plastic, coupled with lack of systematic collection and sustainable management, leads to plastic accumulation in soils and aquatic environments.

“Plastic pollution constitutes a planetary crisis demanding change in our approach to secure a sustainable future. To deliver on Yara’s ambition of growing a nature-positive food future, we are committed to continuously reducing our climate impact as well as the environmental footprint from the use of our products. That includes reducing the environmental impact of our plastic packaging materials by using recycled plastic, reducing plastic packaging, ensuring packaging is recyclable and working with other players in the value chain to collect and recycle material. Yara’s sustainable packaging roll out is a promising start to ensure that our packaging does not cause harm to nature,” says Bernhard Stormyr, VP Sustainability Governance at Yara International.

In agriculture, plastic is used for various purposes, such as protected cultivation films, nets, piping, irrigation, drainage, and packaging materials. While they can increase productivity and efficiency in all agricultural sectors and help minimise food loss and waste, plastics are a major source of contamination.

“The growing challenges of hunger, soil degradation, climate change, and supply chain disruptions demand immediate action from all of us. At Yara, we recognise that we need to take part in it. Across industries, there is an urgent need to better monitor the quantities of plastic products used that leak into the environment from agriculture. That is why we are taking measures in Europe and beyond to have all packaging recyclable by 2030, whilst at the same time securing the safety and quality of our product,” says Stormyr.

Yara’s initiatives are as follows:

1. Using recycled plastic where possible.

The company strives to maximise the use of recycled plastic in packaging materials, and several projects show promising results:

Big and small bags containing at least 30% recycled plastic are being rolled out all over Europe during 2023. If all Yara’s bags in Europe are replaced with these bags, it is estimated that the amount of virgin plastic used would be reduced by around 3000 tpy and avoid some 6000 t of CO₂e.

In Brazil, Yara has signed an agreement with a supplier to jointly develop a new type of big bag. These new bags will be made from 100% recycled PET, and therefore have a substantially reduced impact on the environment, almost halving greenhouse gas emissions compared with the conventional bags, while maintaining the same technical properties. This project aims to replace around 2000 t of virgin plastic and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 4000 tpy. The main benefit of PET compared to other plastics currently used for the production of big bags is that it can be recycled endlessly without losing its strength and quality.

Yara is also working actively to launch similar initiatives in other markets around the world, e.g., in South Africa, the company’s big bag liners are now made with recycled plastic.

2. Ensuring packaging is designed for recycling

Yara’s packaging materials are designed for recyclability and for avoiding excessive material use, and the company will continue to work on further improvements. Almost all the plastic that is used in Yara’s packaging can be recycled, provided that local collection and recycling schemes are available. The limited packaging materials that cannot yet be recycled will be re-designed for recyclability where possible.

3. Reducing the amount of plastic packaging material

Yara is also working on reducing the amount of plastic used per bag by optimising specifications without compromising quality or safety, for instance by using thinner material. During the last few years, the company has reduced plastic use by close to a thousand t due to such optimisations in various markets around the world.

In Thailand, Yara developed a new fertilizer packaging material that reduces the use of plastic. The special fabric called ‘Light and Strong’ results in a fertilizer bag that is overall lighter, stronger, more durable and reusable. Current implementation of the solution saves around 150 tpy of virgin plastic per year, with the potential to increase this by up to about 800 tpy in the near future. In India, Yara reduced the thickness of the material for its 45 kg urea bags. Reducing the amount of plastic used per bag by a few grams cuts total plastic use for these bags by around 200 tpy.

In the company’s West African markets, optimising bag specifications reduces plastic use by more than 500 tpy.

4. Working with other players in the value chain on collection and recycling schemes

As Yara does not produce or collect plastic packaging, the company engages with various stakeholders to try to influence the way plastic packaging is produced and the way it is handled after use. As with all complex value chains, one company cannot solve these challenges alone. The company is using its purchasing power and strong supplier relationships to drive change in the areas where it is needed.

Yara is engaged with, and contributes to, collection and recycling schemes for agricultural plastics and product packaging materials, including establishing such schemes together with others.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/materials-handling/28112023/yara-introduces-sustainable-packaging/