In an exclusive interview with Packaging360, Mr. Andy Morse, Marketing Director, Eastman Coatings and Inks, introduces the Eastman basket of products and solutions for the packaging sector. He elucidates the sustainability goals of Eastman and recent innovations in pursuit of these goals. Andy also explains how Eastman’s products and solutions differentiated from Competition and how these benefits for the customer. Andy also emphasizes the growth potential of sustainable packaging in India and how Eastman is poised to address the aspirations of customers.
Packaging360: Could you elaborate on the Eastman portfolio of products and solutions for the packaging sector?
Andy Morse:
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- Eastman has a portfolio of packaging solutions driven by global macro trends toward sustainable packaging that does not sacrifice consumer performance or quality. In our Coatings and Inks business, our Eastman Solus™ performance additives enable recyclability in luxurious, metallized paper packaging; our Eastman Tetrashield™ protective resin systems for metal packaging help major brands move to bisphenol A non-intent (BPA-NI) coatings without sacrificing can performance and shelf life; our Eastman Renew products bring the circular economy to critical chemistries; and our waterborne polyesters and biobased ink additives enable extraordinary packaging performance while meeting market needs oriented toward low odor, changing substrates, and customer sustainability commitments.
- And in our Specialty Plastics business, we offer a broad portfolio of copolyesters, including Eastman Tritan™, Eastman Cristal™, and Eastar™, enabling brands to bring clear, durable packages and products to consumers in the durables, medical applications, electronics, and cosmetic packaging markets. With the introduction of Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies, each of these resins is now available in the Eastman Renew range with high levels of certified1 recycled content for performance without compromise.
- Across our Eastman packaging solutions, the common thread is a commitment to bringing innovative, high-performing solutions to markets where brands want to differentiate––to stand apart based on superior appearance, strong shelf appeal, extraordinary clarity and toughness, and superb protection of the product inside the package. Our innovations let us do this in a way that drives the circular economy.
Packaging360: Please elaborate on the sustainability goals of Eastman and recent innovations in pursuit of these goals.
Andy Morse:
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- Our sustainability agenda is integrated with our innovation strategy. In our 2020 Sustainability Report, we committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. We have already made substantial progress by reducing our greenhouse gas intensity from our 2008 baseline by 20% in 2019. We have a more aggressive goal to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas scope 1 and 2 emissions by one-third by 2030.
- We know brands, consumers, and investors are eager to see companies make tangible contributions to a more circular economy, so we’re excited to bring circular products to market today based on our cellulosic technologies and our molecular-recycling-driven carbon renewal and polyester renewal technologies. What excites us about our technologies is that we are already offering naturally sourced, recycled, and recyclable solutions to the market based on world-scale assets.
Packaging360: How are your products and solutions differentiated from the competition and what are the benefits for the customer?
Andy Morse:
- Eastman has packaging technology centers in the U.S., EMEA, and China with application equipment and a global technical service team to support formulation development. One great example of a differentiated solution is our Solus product line for film-free transfer metallized packaging. This coating technology allows customers to create luxurious packaging with metallized and holographic effects without the laminated plastic film that renders the secondary packaging unrecyclable. For leading brands that are positioning themselves based on more sustainable offerings, recyclable packaging is a key differentiator—and often the basis for brand-level commitments.
Packaging360: In India, how does Eastman view the growth potential of sustainable packaging and what is the strategy to support customers?
Andy Morse:
- The plastic problem is prevalent in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) packaging in India. Sustainability and environmental concerns are already driving change with central and state governments taking steps to ban single-use plastic by the end of 2022. According to Euromonitor International’s Lifestyle Survey, 41% of respondents say that they are worried about climate change, and 48% believe recyclable packaging is sustainable or better for the environment.2
- The drive toward sustainability has therefore taken on greater urgency as players race to find solutions before the nationwide ban is enforced, given impetus by leading multinationals that publicly pledged to increase their use of recycled, recyclable, and compostable packaging. Big names such as L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, The Body Shop, and Godrej Consumer Products have voiced their commitment to sustainability in packaging with timelines that detail their intended progression in terms of plastic reduction and the development of ecologically sound alternatives.3
- Eastman has had a strong presence in India for many years, and as we see a growing appetite for new solutions driven by greater recyclability, lower packaging weight, and longer-lasting performance. We are making additional investments to enable us to bring even more innovation to customers here. We have a very strong local team today, which magnifies our ability to bring deep global capabilities to customers driving innovation in India.
1The recycled content is achieved by allocating the recycled waste plastic to Eastman Renew materials using a mass balance process certified by ISCC.
2Packaging Industry in India, Euromonitor International, November 2021.
3Beauty and personal care packaging in India, Euromonitor International, May 2021.
About Andy Morse
Mr. Andy Morse is the Global Marketing Director for Eastman Coatings & Inks. Mr. Morse joined Eastman in 2016, and has held several roles leading global strategy & marketing. Prior to Eastman, Mr. Morse worked in strategy at Celanese, and was a strategy consultant at Bain & Company. He is based in Tennessee, USA.
About Eastman
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2021 revenues of approximately $10.5 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.
Dr. R. Rangaprasad, is currently Business Head, Packaging 360, a Mumbai based knowledge service provider vertical under Catalyzing New Technology (CNT) Expositions & Services LLP. Packaging 360 is a comprehensive knowledge sharing ecosystem for the Indian packaging industry (www.packaging360.in).
Dr. R. Rangaprasad is a chemical technologist by training having earned his Ph.D. (Tech) degree from UDCT (now ICT) in 1992.
