Ian Bates @portabud - Tumblr Blog

Why does so much packaging STILL contain ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’?

As a self-confessed materials and packaging nerd (some might say ‘bore’), I am obsessed with what things are made from, how they’re processed or grown and what impacts they might have on society and the planet from cradle to cradle. I watched the movie ‘Dark Waters’ in 2020, available via Netflix and this gave me sleepless nights. It’s a story about DuPont’s non-stick product called ‘Teflon’.…

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Seriously, packaging made from grass?

When my business partner, Chris McNeill, first brought this up on one of our Monday early morning ‘walk & talks’ I questioned his sanity! “Seriously” I said “packaging made from grass, is that not just a hippie clay-pipe dream”? How he did protest. I listened… A miscanthus X giganteus rhizome It turns out that we have been growing ‘elephant grass’ called ‘Miscanthus X Giganteus’ in the UK for…

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Not all packaging is born equal

Let’s be clear from the outset, all packaging has an impact on the environment to varying degrees and it’s our job is to help clients find the best solutions to mitigate carbon, waste, cost, social and negative impacts whilst finding ways of making packaging work harder. We measure and consider numerous factors before making recommendations much like a doctor reaches a diagnosis. So the more we…

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The 4th industrial revolution - could this help save our planet?

The 4th industrial revolution – could this help save our planet?

Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, was invented in 1981 by Hideo Kodama from Japan. Described as the ‘4th industrial revolution’, the current global market value is £9.5 Billion and predicted to grow by over 23% to £26 Billion by 2026. Some think that this is a conservative estimate. You might ask, so what? Well, it’s highly disruptive for starters and will change how…

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Is consumerism slowly killing us and the planet?

Shell began pumping oil in the Niger delta in 1958 and today oil and gas represent 65% of their income. In 1993 there was a massive oil spill, one of the biggest in living history, in Ogoniland, which destroyed many lives, much of the habitat and the clean-up continues today. It’s one of the most polluted places on Earth. After much local campaigning over several years, eventually the oil…

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Plastic vs. plant-based packaging - which has the least impact?

Plastic vs. plant-based packaging – which has the least impact?

I am often asked this question, Both have an impact on the environment, but to different degrees because no natural and synthesised material is made without the use of energy and resources powered by carbon-rich resources such as coal, oil and gas. There is no perfect material currently and this is an inconvenience truth. However, good news – this is all about to change. If we compare…

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The COP26 Challenge

I first became aware of the climate crisis in 2006 after watching An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Up until this point, I was blissfully unaware of the issues relating to global warming and the complicity of the fossil fuels industry. 15 years later, we continue to ignore the warnings of scientists and other experts. Read the latest IPCC report to find out more. In simple terms, in case you did…

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Is this REALLY the World’s first plastic-free pop-up cardboard ice bucket?

Think about it. What are ice buckets typically made from anyway? Steel, aluminium, plastic, glass even ice. But cardboard, is that even possible – won’t they just leak?

The idea for a cardboard ice bucket came to me in 2007 whilst touring a corrugated box manufacturing facility in Derbyshire when I noticed an odd plain white looking pack coming off the end of a production line. “What’s that?”…

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Probably the best drinks carrier in the world!

“So what’s the best product you’ve created and what’s so special about it?” a friend asked me recently? “PortaDrink® I replied without hesitation.

Probably the best beer (and drinks carrier) in the world!

PortaDrink® is a multi-drink carrier which was launched in 2005 and has become the favourite drinks carrier of leading brands including Costa, Carlsberg and Diageo. It is used by bars and…

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World’s first plastic-free handcrafted laces

In late 2012, I was en route to Hong Kong to help a retail group redesign, optimise and renegotiate the supply of their toy packaging from their Asian suppliers. With two hours to wait for my flight at Heathrow airport, I indulged in buying a new pair of brogues (this time from Ted Baker) which came with a pair of dapper blue laces which I thought looked very smart. Frustratingly, but all too…

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What’s it like living in TESLAland?

According to my wife, I have already become a Tesla bore. I apologise unreservedly, but believe me, once your drive a Tesla, you will join this fast-growing gaggle of tech-thirsty, dino-bashing, jowl-sheering nerds!

My obsession with electric cars began about five years ago following the launch of BMW’s i3. I was so impressed with this quirky EV, I placed an order, but then cancelled it before…

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Are paper straws ‘recyclable’?

Yes, paper straws are ‘recyclable’, but so are paper/plastic laminated cups, cartons, sandwich packs and almost everything, but that does not mean they actually are recycled.

The confusion was highlighted this week by a leaked internal McDonald’s communication stating that their paper straws are not currently being recycled and are instead being sent for incineration and turned into energy along…

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The REEL SHOP is now OPEN

If you’ve ever designed your own greeting card via Moonpig, hailed an Uber taxi or bought bespoke stationery from Vistaprint, you’ll know how wonderful the whole experience is, saving you hours of time and more often than not, money.

It’s the simplicity, accuracy and speed that appeals to me mostly. That, and the fact that sourcing all of these things is neither a pleasure and not always easy.

Wh…

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Plastic-Free Festivals - isn’t that just a pipe dream?

Plastic-Free Festivals – isn’t that just a pipe dream?

Plastic festival tents left behind at events account annually for about 900 tonnes of waste today in Britain. Over a third of tents are left at festivals because on the last day people just can’t be bothered to pack them up and take them home.

Glastonbury installed recycling bins in 2008 and announced recently it would be banning the use of plastic bottles. More is in the pipeline to reduce…

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UK supermarket calls time on single-use plastic packaging

Thorton’s Budgens in North London yesterday launched its mission to reduce dependency on single-use plastic packaging supported by local resisident celebrities Dame Janet Suzman and Jim Broadbent. The place was buzzing as you can imagine!

Backed by plastic-free trust mark owners, A Plastic Planet, 1757 products made the first cut and more products are planned. Talking to the owner, Andrew…

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Turning off the plastic tap

Unless you have been living on another planet recently, you will be painfully aware of the hype around plastic and the impact it is having on the environment, food chain and life on Earth. The most recent documentary, ‘Drowning in Plastic’ shows the extent to which plastic pollution has become one of the top priorities of many countries and organisations.

Hot topic indeed and a subject I can bore…

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Is single-use plastic packaging to be scrapped?

In some parts of the world this is becoming a reality and the future is looking bright.

I’ve just spent a couple of days at the Packaging Innovations Fair in London listening to all the experts debate this very subject and for those of you who care about such things, I’m going to try and explain in simple terms what’s going on here from an unbiased perspective.

We stand at the vanguard of change,…

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Ian Bates