Daniel Barnes: Head of Procurement at Calbee Group UK

Daniel’s key takeaway from the Collaborative Group was a shift in mindset regarding how he approaches future initiatives to reduce packaging waste. This broadened perspective is especially valuable in his new role at Calbee UK, where he is one of the primary decision-makers for packaging procurement strategy.

A New Way of Thinking

Before taking part in the Collaborative Group, Daniel was involved with many initiatives at Morrisons on packaging waste reduction and strategic switching to more sustainable materials where possible. Over the five years he worked for the retailer, he saved over 1000 tonnes of plastic from reaching our shelves. One of his key projects was to switch the traditional plastic trays for steaks and replace them with cardboard, recyclable trays, which reduced about 200 tonnes of plastic in this category alone. However, Daniel notes the trade-offs in sustainable packaging strategies, which at times conflict with other environmental goals, such as carbon footprint reduction, because although the aforementioned plastic to cardboard tray swap reduced plastic use significantly, it increased CO2 emissions due to the higher carbon footprint of the cardboard.

In his existing role, working for the biggest supplier of food snacks in Japan, Daniel has to make packaging decisions that align with UK/EU regulations but he also influences the packaging for imported Japanese products for sale in the UK and EU. The new approach, learnt during the Collaborative Industry Group, helps Daniel to apply a long-term view for the international procurement strategies, by anticipating potential changes to regulations and consumer demand.

Sustainability with Consumer Choice

Both Morrisons and Calbee UK have long-term sustainability targets for recyclability and carbon reduction; for example, Morrisons has 2030 and 2050 visions. While trying to achieve these goals, companies must ensure that products are still popular with consumers, fit with legislation and aren’t too costly. It can be tricky to satisfy all these criteria at once. For example, an attempt was made to reduce the use of plastic by changing the grape punnets to cardboard. This met some resistance because research found that customers like to be able to see the fruit clearly while still packaged and that such a swap might deter customers from purchasing their product in new pack formats. However, it is still possible to make changes that won’t impact customer choice. For example, Daniel worked on the reduction of the weight of mince trays by 10%, which saved around 400 tonnes of plastic, and hardly changed the product’s presentation and therefore, consumer preference. This is an example of applying circular economy principles in practice.

Daniel notes that some customers will choose to buy products with sustainability credentials, but that is not always the case and that awareness of pro-environmental retailing remains low. At Morrisons, Daniel was involved in the post review of the re-use systems trial, where dispensers were installed for refillable products such as rice and pasta, eliminating the need for packaging altogether. He saw that the re-use system created barriers for customers, who were not keen on bringing their own tubs or jars to the store, finding the already packaged versions quicker to pick up and more convenient.

Leadership Through Collaboration

Daniel highlights that the Collaborative Group for the Future of Packaging provided him with a platform to engage with a variety of industry professionals. Interacting with peers from different industries gave him a broader understanding of interconnected sustainability challenges and cross-organisational interdependencies between them.

The forum has broadened his perspective, and given him new tools for decision-making and problem-solving, involving a balance of optimism and pessimism, based on our best- and worst-case scenario tasks in the Futures & Foresight group. Daniel also admits that the futures-inspired approach has helped him to be resilient in problem-solving and thinking of alternative solutions. In summary, it helped Daniel to combine the short-term pragmatism with long-term vision. In the high-pressure, cost-sensitive industry of FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), packaging sustainability demands are often met with constant trade-offs, and the skills and awareness gained through the programme helped Daniel widen his approach to balance strategic decisions with greater creativity and resilience.