Manupackaging UK in 2022 – Challenges and Reflections

26 January 2022

By Karen Sherman, General Manager

Just like the world, in 2021 Manupackaging UK were forced to rethink how we work with our customers to continue delivering the quality of service, trust and engagement to be even more proactive in the face of COVID; however now, our primary focus grows even more on one increasing issue – Environmental impact.

2022 will be a key year for Manupackaging UK for two very different reasons – The first is that as from 1st April, the UK Plastic Tax comes into force. Consumers using more than 10 tonnes of packaging products imported into or produced in the UK containing less than 30% post-commercial recycled plastic will be charged the tax levy at a rate of £200 per tonne.

The tax aims to stimulate a circular recycling economy, reduce the strain of raw material consumption, and waste to landfill or incineration. Although now incentivising consumers to reconsider how they use our products, we have always been working closely with our customers through our STATS auditing program to help them decrease plastic consumption, but we now do so even more to implement newer and alternate products into their packaging systems that either contain the minimum 30% recycled content or aim to reduce their overall plastic consumption and potential Plastic Tax charges.

While a growing number of consumers opting for paper-based packaging solutions, being drawn to its biodegradability and recyclability capabilities, we are still in a reality where plastic continues to be the optimal material for use in some applications. Although the use of plastic has had widespread negative media, the general problem that lies with any material is not just its lifecycle, but how much of it we are using – If we are consuming more, then more raw material resources are needed to meet demand; whereas if we rethink about how much material our products use, and reduce it as well as develop ways of including recycled content. This is where we can create a more optimised circular economy.

We continue to introduce more environmentally friendly product specifications to our Manunature range in addition to our existing Manunature RR, BB and BD films, and expand the Manunature range to include tape and bubble products, and we are aiming to launch these as soon as we can.

2022 also marks the 30th anniversary of Manupackaging UK, still operating from our original site in Corsham since 1992; over this year we will be looking back at how the company has grown and changed to meet such challenges not only environmentally, but also answering the requirements, expectations and demands that our customers seek from us as a supplier.

Manupackaging UK has gone from being a small production line in Corsham, to supplying some of the biggest names in business today; wrapping thousands of pallets, taping even more boxes, and protecting tens of millions of pounds worth of goods every single day.

We cannot wait to share the stories and more from some of our longest serving staff members, but we would love to hear from our customers and their success stories – How have we helped you revolutionise your packaging? Why do you use Manupackaging? Let us know on our Facebook and LinkedIn or drop us an email!

* The views and opinions expressed within this article are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of Manupackaging.