Single-use Plastics : Patent Insights
Food packaging has dominated headlines in recent years , largely due to the negative environmental impact of the production and waste of singleuse plastics . With companies and governments vowing to combat this it will be interesting to see if the patents within this field reflect the rhetoric , as well as looking where the industry is generally heading .
Figure 1 : Percentage of patent families in the top 20 Cooperative Patent Classifications
To understand the industry direction and recent occurrences , we ’ ll analyse the patents published within the last year .
Looking at cooperative patent classifications ( CPCs ) provides insight into technologies being utilised / researched . The key CPCs , as per Figure 1 , appear to relate to polyethylene or polypropylene thermoplastics , suggesting that despite efforts to reduce plastic waste and / or use of traditional plastics , change has yet to materialise , at least from a patent perspective . Noteworthy CPCs include : B65D51 / 24 ( closures combined or cooperating with auxiliary devices ), which incorporates packaging with cutlery , highlighting developments suited to our on-the-go fast-paced society ; and B65D81 / 38 ( with thermal insulation ), which may include re-usable beverage containers , potentially indicating movement towards ending single-use plastics dependence .
Figure 2 : The number of publications placed in the top 20 CPCs by the top 10 assignees
Figure 2 provides insight into specific technologies the top players have invested in . Nestec appear to have the heaviest concentration in any classification ; B65D85 / 804 ( disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed , infused or dissolved in situ ) and B65D85 / 8043 ( adapted to allow liquid to pass ). Looking at the breadth of activity , B65D85 / 72 ( Containers , packaging elements or packages for edible or potable liquids or semiliquids or plastic or pasty materials )
68 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk appears to be the most broadly active classification , and Douwe Egberts appears to show the broadest activity , being present in almost all the CPCs .
These insights into the food packaging industry have exposed some intriguing activities . Looking at the last year , the industry is still devoted to the use of polyethylene or polypropylene thermoplastics , with little indicators present suggesting a shift to a more environmentally conscious alternative . Interestingly , the top players appear to not be focussing on the same technology as the industry as a whole , with Figures 1 & 2 showing only marginal crossover . Given the current patent landscape uncovered here it would appear that there is still a long way to go before an industry-wide change is noticed .
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