Sustainable Packaging Tape Trial Request

Climate change is increasingly affecting our day to day life. Extreme weather events such as droughts, fires, floods and storms are becoming more frequent. Rising sea levels and temperatures pose a threat to our delicate ecosystem. Every country in the world is dealing with climate change and its impact.

Single use plastics (including traditional packaging tapes) contribute to climate change. They are produced from non-renewable resources and can break down into microplastics which pollute our oceans, rivers and land. 

One form of single use plastic that is rapidly increasing is traditional packaging tapes. Each year we consume 915 billion meters of single use plastic packaging tape globally, which is the equivalent distance of travelling from Earth to Mars and back twice. A contributing factor of this increase is the rise of E-commerce, which has been further amplified as we adapt through the pandemic. 

E-commerce in Australia is rapidly growing as more consumer goods are being transported in single parcel shipments, resulting in the increase of landfill due to widespread use of these plastics. According to Australia Post, online shopping reached an all-time high in 2020, with online purchases growing 57% year-on-year, reaching a total online spend of $50.46 billion in Australia.

tesa are actively working with customers and industry bodies to develop new and cutting edge sustainable packaging tape solutions for the industry. Our latest addition includes packaging tapes made with paper from well-managed FSC® certified forests and other controlled sources and Bio-based materials.

Bio-based products are now increasingly being used in the production of adhesive tapes. Bio-based products are obtained in whole or in part from materials of organic origin under strict conditions. Many, or ideally all, traditionally synthetic processes are being replaced in
production by natural processes such as fermentation or biocatalysis. This enables greater process efficiency to be achieved, leading to a reduction in energy and water consumption and a reduction in toxic waste – an important step toward achieving Sustainable  Development Goal 12.

As the new materials are derived from renewable resources such as plants, it reduces CO₂ emissions and offers other benefits such as lower toxicity or new product properties (e.g. biodegradable plastics). This is precisely what consumers around the world are now increasingly calling for – especially when sustainable production methods do not compromise the performance of the products. When this is ensured, consumers are also willing to pay a little more for these packaging tapes.