• Anne Uusitalo of Metsa Board and Brad Partington of Ball & Doggett were the guests on Ep 25 of The PKN Podcast.
    Anne Uusitalo of Metsa Board and Brad Partington of Ball & Doggett were the guests on Ep 25 of The PKN Podcast.
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PKN talks... increasing the use of fibre-based packaging to help meet sustainability goals with Anne Uusitalo of Metsä Board and Brad Partington of Ball & Doggett.

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, Anne Uusitalo, Product Safety & Sustainability Director at Metsä Board and Brad Partington, General Manager for Packaging at Ball & Doggett, discuss the innovations allowing fibre based products to replace single use plastics.

We start the episode with Partington providing an overview of Ball & Doggett before Uusitalo describes Metsä Board's operations and its relationship with Ball & Doggett. The discussion then moves onto the changes both groups have seen in their customers' views on sustainable packaging and the shift from short-term to long-term goals.

This leads on to the increase in global awareness of waste following China's ban on importing waste from other countries along with the importance of collaboration across all parties including authorities, producers and consumers. The APCO targets are acknowledged to be ambitious yet these, in turn, are increasing the drive towards more renewable based products, reducing landfill, increasing recycling and the establishment of new standards and regulations to support further drive developments.

Uusitalo then discusses Metsä Board's operating environment, its extensive use of fibre products and the company's targets for zero carbon emissions in its operations. This leads to discussion of a recent project where Metsä Board successfully replaced plastic cherry tomato packaging with recyclable fibre product while retaining product quality and improving consumer engagement.

Partington also provides examples of recent transitions from single-use plastic to recyclable fibre-based materials in indoor signage and the replacement of polystyrene trays for meat & seafood packaging.

We wrap up the episode by returning to the importance of continuing innovation and collaboration to ensure targets can be met and waste reduced while protecting the quality of the products in the packaging.

You can learn more about Ball & Doggett at: https://www.ballanddoggett.com.au/ and about Metsä Board at: https://www.metsaboard.com/

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The PKN Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of PKN Packaging News, owned and published by Yaffa Media.

The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of PKN Packaging News, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.

If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact PKN Packaging News via their website www.packagingnews.com.au or send an email to editor@packagingnews.com.au.

MC: Grant McHerron
Host: Lindy Hughson
Editor: Chris Visccher
Producer: Steve Visscher

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