Europen: Sustainability is moving in the right direction

The issue of packaging sustainably is moving forward, according to Europen managing director Julian Carroll.

Speaking at the Ardagh Group’s sustainable packaging event in Paris [19 October], Carroll said: “I think we have moved from the stage where there was a lot of greenwash and there was a lot of misunderstanding.”

He added: “I think at regulatory level and at EU level people are starting to get serious about it.”

He said that that people have not been necessarily pushed with laws but with “encouragement and with programmes”.

Carroll also said that organisations such as Wrap are “forcing people to think about things in a different way” and “in France we have the Grenelle [environment] laws”.

“All these things are forcing people to be more serious about it [sustainability],” he continued.  “So, we are being more serious and we are moving in the right direction.

Carroll also said that firms are cutting through the greenwash and “getting to the facts”.

He explained: “Everyone will always be looking for a good sales pitch and so on but people are looking more closely and the industry has to be accountable to the consumer.”

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