Transcend Packaging is putting more emphasis on compostables as it looks to invest the recent £10m funding it secured.
Known for manufacturing McDonald’s paper straws, the 150-staff company pivoted into home-compostable CE-marked PPE two weeks into lockdown, securing contracts to supply millions of visors to the NHS (and others).
Lorenzo Angelucci, chief executive of Transcend Packaging, told Packaging News the company will continue to supply this requirement as long as necessary.
He said there was a demand for replacing single-use quick-service and takeaway food packaging with more sustainable materials.
“Additionally, with the single-use plastic ban on straws and other products approaching in October, all major foodservice brands in England are facing increasing regulatory obligations to re-think the materials they are using.”
He was confident consumers will support compostable alternatives to single-use products as well – “hygiene joins sustainability as the key priorities in the post-Covid landscape”.
Transcend said it is now facilitating the re-opening of the food service sector, with major deals being discussed with more household names.
According to Angelucci, the packaging industry has long utilised a ‘price per thousand’ mentality, where volume and cost is prioritised above all else.
“Businesses need to ensure that any new packaging they introduce can be easily recycled across the diverse set of recycling schemes in the UK. Additionally, product performance needs to align with customer expectations, without compromising quality or hygiene, while meeting applicable regulatory thresholds.”
He said other important aspects to consider moving forward include the mitigation of additional taxation, Deposit Return Schemes or Extended Producer Responsibility requirements.
“The UK and other nations are looking to embark on a ‘green recovery’ post Covid, and we feel that Transcend can be an important part of the solution to leave a more sustainable world for future generations.”
