Nowadays, no company can escape the topic of sustainability - and this starts with the procurement of raw materials. But what do we generally mean by "sustainable raw material procurement" and how is it changing the packaging industry now and in the future? We take a closer look at the possibilities and offer you an overview!

Resource-conserving raw material procurement: What does that actually mean?

For a sustainable economy that does not harm our livelihoods, it is important to conserve the sources (French: ressource) of the raw materials used. This begins with the consideration of which raw materials are suitable for sustainable production in the first place, and ends with the establishment of a functioning circular economy. In detail, the following three principles characterize resource-conserving raw material procurement:

1. A raw material is renewable in the best case

   Resource conservation can involve the extraction and

   

   Procurement of raw materials can only take place if the materials do not disappear irretrievably as a result of their use. Rather, their source should still be economically available in the future.

   All fossil raw materials are excluded here by definition, as their supply is finite. Industrially, there is therefore an effort to replace mineral oil-based materials with renewable raw materials.
   
   Example: Regenerated fibers replace synthetic fibers

   You certainly know synthetic fibers like polyester or nylon. These are known for their unique properties. They are produced by forcing molten plastic through spinnerets and forming it into a continuous filament. This structure ultimately leads to fabrics with improved properties (shape retention, resilience, fast drying, color fastness) compared to natural fibers.

   But here the textile industry developed a resource-saving alternative. For so-called regenerated fibers such as Lyocell or Modal, cellulose is obtained from beech, bamboo or soy, which is processed and spun in a similar way to synthetic fibers. Here, therefore, a production process can be converted from limited raw material sources to renewable raw materials.

2. The extraction does not cost too many other resources

   Raw materials can only be sustainably sourced if their extraction does not put undue strain on other resources. Well-known examples: Water or energy, the latter in turn coming from crude oil or natural gas.

   Particularly energy-intensive is the
   - extraction of metals
   - manufacture of mineral products such as cement
   - production of basic chemicals in the chemical industry.

   In contrast, the raw material wood increases the national CO2 footprint significantly less. Overall, however, the German economy is predominantly based on the abiotic raw materials mentioned:

   Here, ores, fossil fuels and mineral raw materials account for around 84 percent of the raw material footprint totaling 1,373 million metric tons. Biotic raw materials such as wood account for only 16 percent. In the interests of resource-conserving raw material procurement, the industry needs to rethink its approach here.

   Example aluminum: Dirty raw material or environmentally friendly plastic alternative?

   The production of aluminum is complex: For this purpose, extraction companies mine the mineral bauxite and extract pure aluminum oxide from it. This is split into liquid aluminum and oxygen under the influence of electricity.

   The energy-intensive process can generate a large carbon footprint if the electricity used comes from fossil fuels, for example. For example, a kilogram of aluminum from Chinese production is polluted with an average of 25 kilograms of CO2 equivalents.

   However, this ratio decreases with the use of green electricity and the efficiency of the production facilities. In Norway, this results in a value of only 0.5 kg CO2 equivalents per kilogram of aluminum produced.

3. The raw material can be recycled or decomposes in an environmentally neutral way
   

   Resource-conserving raw materials are characterized, for example, by their reusability. Aluminum is another good example of this, as the metal can be recycled almost 100 percent without any loss of quality.

   But the real figures do not yet reflect this ideal picture. According to the Federal Environment Agency, only around 34 to 36 percent of aluminum is currently recycled globally, although recycling requires far less energy than the production of primary aluminum.

   The problem is that there are many different alloys on the market with differing quality grades, which cannot all be "lumped together" for recycling. As a result, recycled aluminum is mixed with an average of 50 percent primary aluminum.

   Glass is recycling leader

   The situation is already better when it comes to glass as a raw material. It is certainly easy for you to separate glass from your household waste, and the material has the potential to be remelted and recycled countless times.

   As early as 2015, the German industry therefore achieved a recycling rate of 90 percent in the green glass sector. For 2022, the Packaging Act stipulates that at least 90 percent cullet must be processed in so-called container glass (bottles, jars, etc.).

What else is important for sustainability in the raw materials sector?

Ultimately, companies should not only use raw materials that conserve resources, but also use them particularly sparingly and efficiently. In the packaging industry, this means finding new packaging solutions that save material and produce little waste.

For German companies that make outstanding improvements in their raw material and material efficiency by changing their production processes and redesigning their products, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection awards the annual Raw Material Efficiency Prize.

What is the impact of sustainable raw material extraction?

Sustainable raw material extraction changes entire value chains in such a way that they consume less energy and have less impact on the environment. Paper and cardboard provide a good example from the packaging sector. Here, sustainable raw material extraction already begins with the structure of the forest from which the wood comes.

Following improved production processes certified for their sustainability, the cycle is closed for recycled paper products. In detail, the steps for sustainably sourced paper are as follows:

1. Wood extraction from sustainable forestry
   

   For centuries, conventional forestry has focused on harvesting and replanting its raw materials in such a way that they do not run out. In this sense, it already follows a sustainable aspect. However, many other environmental factors play a role in a sustainably managed forest today.

   For example, the independent NGO Forest Stewardship Council only awards its FSC seal to forests in which no poison is used and in which no more than 20 percent of tree species are non-native. The criterion that deadwood remains in the forest also serves to protect the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem.

2. More efficient production processes

   The production of paper requires a high energy input. After all, wood for paper production must either be ground on grinding machines or boiled to obtain cellulose and the fiber cement lignin.

   However, in recent decades the industry has developed modern, energy-efficient production processes. Compared to 1990, this has enabled average energy consumption per ton of paper to be reduced from 3.4 to 2.7 megawatt hours. Because green electricity is increasingly being used, CO2 emissions in paper production have also been reduced by around 30 percent. They currently stand at 555 kg of carbon dioxide per ton of paper.

3. Establish a circular economy

   In Germany, 22 million tons of paper are produced annually, with the packaging industry accounting for around 55 percent of this total. In terms of circular economy, the local industry is at the forefront in an international comparison:

   The recycling rate of paper is still 71.4 percent - by 2030, manufacturers have committed to a rate of 76 percent.

   
   By comparison, the recycling rate in 1990 was 49 percent. Here, too, the increase helps to reduce wood, water and primary energy consumption per ton of paper. After all, no more trees have to be felled for recycled paper. It requires around 60 percent less energy and 70 percent less water to produce than newly produced paper.

What can consumers do to support sustainable resource extraction?

Here, supply is growing in line with rising demand. As a consumer, you should increasingly choose paper and cardboard products that bear a sustainability seal. The FSC seal on end products not only declares wood from sustainably managed forests, but also certifies the sustainability of the production processes. As far as recycled paper is concerned, for example, the "Blue Angel" guarantees a share of 100 percent recovered paper in the certified product.

What about resource-conserving raw material extraction for plastics?

While the paper industry has focused strongly on the sustainability factor in recent decades, the plastics industry is still at the beginning of the necessary development. In addition to energy-efficient production processes, the key here lies in the use of renewable raw materials and recycling.

1. Bio-plastics: Development still needs time

   This refers to plastics that are not obtained from petroleum but from renewable raw materials such as corn starch. Sugar is first extracted from the starch. Certain bacteria convert the sugar into polylactic acid or polyhydroxybutyrate, which in turn are raw materials for plastics.

   The fact that a plastic is bio-based does not automatically mean that it is also biodegradable. Here, the chemical structure is decisive. The proportion of biologically based and biodegradable plastics in the EU is currently 11.6 percent and has been rising for years. In the packaging industry, the proportion is above average at around 40 percent.

2. Plastic recycling: already established for PET

   If the chemical structure is identical, petroleum-based and bio-based plastics can even be processed together during recycling. Commercially available PET beverage bottles are a good example. They also circulate as a variant that contains a proportion of bio-plastics and can be recycled together with bottles made from fossil plastic, resulting in bottles with recyclate proportions of 26 to 100 percent.

   Important in the area of food packaging: Criteria for the safety of the materials used and the evaluation of suitable recycling technologies. Both of these have currently been laid down in new EU regulations. They are intended to strengthen the industry's ability to achieve its target of 25 percent recycled plastic in PET bottles by 2025.

Important: Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are two different materials. Renewable raw materials such as corn can be used to produce plastics that decompose just as little as classic plastics. And even plastics that are declared "biodegradable" cannot simply be disposed of in the green garbage can in Germany, according to the Packaging Act and the Biowaste Ordinance.

What future developments could make raw material procurement even more sustainable?

Currently, there are two fields in the packaging industry where a lot could happen in the future in terms of sustainable products:

1. Bio-based adhesives

   Adhesives are also plastics. Traditionally, the synthetic resins and polymers they contain are based on petroleum. Researchers are currently developing alternatives made from vegetable oil, vegetable starch and lactic acid, which are used to produce biologically based adhesives.

   Plant-based variants of resilient epoxy adhesives are possible, but also - especially important in the packaging sector - of hot melt adhesives that hold cardboard packaging together, pressure-sensitive adhesives that coat adhesive tapes, and vegan label glue that replaces the common milk protein-based product.

2. Alternative paper

   Instead of wood, other plant-based raw materials are available here that regenerate more quickly and can be processed more energy-efficiently. Hemp paper, for example, scores points because the raw material can be grown as an annual and regionally. A hemp plant grows up to 4 meters in one month.

   Compared with virgin fiber paper, grass paper saves 50 percent CO2; compared with recycled paper, the figure is 30 percent. Stone meal can also be used to make paper that does not require any water in production. Compared with the 26 liters needed for 100 sheets of standard paper, this is a significant step forward.

   

   In addition, paper can also be made from cotton or banana fibers, although the conditions of raw material extraction are difficult to monitor here. A more favorable solution here might be to produce paper from cellulose, which falls off during domestic apple juice production.

Conclusion: Resource-conserving raw material procurement - there is a lot of room for improvement here

When it comes to sustainable raw material procurement, focusing on renewable raw materials is only part of the story. Equally important: making extraction and production processes energy-efficient and increasing the recycling rate so that rising demand does not eat up the benefit of greater efficiency.

As a consumer, you can control the market with your product choices. The more each individual prefers products made from sustainable raw materials, the more the industry strives to offer sustainable and energy-efficient alternatives to paper, plastic, adhesives and other packaging materials.