MILAN (ITALPRESS) – In the past year, in Italy, the trend of a gradual increase in the number of products on the shelf that carry on the label the identification coding of the composition material, and indications on the type of pack and on the correct disposal in separate waste collection has continued. In contrast, certifications on compostability, additional information for quality sorting, labels or other voluntary environmental claims, and directions to digitally view environmental information remain stable, or characterized by minimal increases. This is what emerges from the sixth report of the IdentiPack Observatory, just published.Resulting from the collaboration between CONAI, the National Packaging Consortium, and GS1 Italy, one of the GS1 nonprofit organizations active in 116 countries around the world that promote the use of GS1 standards (the most widely used in the world for business-to-business communication), the Observatory continues to monitor the presence of environmental information on the labels of packaging released for consumption in Italy, with the contribution of market data from NielsenIQ.With more than 138,000 FMCG products analyzed, IdentiPack finds that indications about the type of packaging and its disposal in separate waste collection are present on 56.4 percent of on-shelf packages (a year ago on 50 percent), a percentage that rises to 80 percent of those actually sold (a year ago on 74.4 percent).In contrast, products whose on-shelf packaging has material identification coding, in accordance with Decision 129/97/EC, correspond to 46.8 percent of total references in grocery (the percentage was 44.1 percent a year ago), peaking at 72.2 percent of total packages sold (at the end of 2023 it was 68.5 percent).Voluntary environmental marks and information are now found on 8.3 percent of products on the shelf in grocery stores (up from 7.6 percent a year ago).Additional information on doing recycling right is found on 6.9 percent of products (almost stable from 6.2 percent at the end of 2023).Certifications of packaging compostability remain stationary at 0.2 percent of shelf packs (a value that has been essentially stable over the past 12 months), while directions for consumers to digitally view environmental information can be found on 3.8 percent of sales packaging (a percentage unchanged from the end of 2023).Among the commodity sectors, the refrigeration sector remains the most receptive in several respects.It is in the lead for the identification coding of the composition material (with 58.3 percent of references) and for indications on the type of pack and on the correct disposal in separate collection (with a 78.7 percent of shelf packs).And it is the only one to exceed 10 percent (14.4 percent of packages on sale) for the presence of additional information for quality separate collection.Meat and fresh also do fairly well, both above 50 percent for packs bearing material identification coding (54.2 percent meat, 52.5 percent fresh) and above 60 percent for the presence of indications about the type of packaging and the correct disposal in separate collection (65.5 percent meat and 69 percent fresh).Household care, on the other hand, stands out as the product sector with the highest percentage (30.4 percent) of packages with indications for consumers to view environmental information digitally. “Serious and truthful environmental communication is increasingly perceived as useful and necessary,” comments Simona Fontana, CONAI general manager. Consumers have become aware, and companies have understood that they must comply with regulations and, at the same time, build a relationship of trust based on transparency and authenticity of information. Directive 825, after all, clearly states this: starting in 2026 in Italy, green claims will no longer be made in the absence of scientific and demonstrable data. Voluntary communications, then, will be mediated by the new provisions that the European Union is giving. In addition to 825, in fact, a new directive dedicated to explicit environmental claims is expected next year. The figure emerging from the latest IdentiPack report, in any case, highlights how companies are at the forefront in adopting responsible choices: a significant step toward a circular economy in which not only the reduction of environmental impact but also the enhancement of sustainability become key elements for long-term success.””This edition represents a new stage in IdentiPack’s journey of documenting the evolution of sustainability communication through the labels of FMCG products sold in Italy,” stresses Bruno Aceto, ceo of GS1 Italy. “It is a crucial information service to nurture a widespread culture of sustainability and also unique in terms of representativeness and authoritativeness, as it is based on data from more than 138 thousand products digitized by the Immagino service of GS1 Italy Servizi, the same database as GS1 Italy’s Immagino Observatory.
– Conai press office photo –
(ITALPRESS).
