The new director of the Metal Packaging Manufacturers' Association (MPMA) has warned that the temptation for one pack material to exploit negative comparisons with another needs to be resisted.
Says Nick Mullen: "The industry bears a heavy responsibility for not using confusing terminology. Of course, the different sectors should promote their own materials, but not through negative portrayals of other materials." He adds: "They should not use a particular strength they have to attack others, especially in the public domain."
Many fear a return to the kind of mutual recriminations between the materials sectors which, in the past, have served only to damage the packaging industry as a whole. The new emphasis on sustainability gives materials new ammunition, but also makes them more vulnerable to negative publicity.
Part of the problem for metals, says the MPMA, is that many of their advantages, such as ease of recycling, are taken for granted. See p41.