When making any packaging design change, it’s important to consider sustainability in the context of other key factors, including packaging purpose, consumer demands, and avoiding greenwashing.
Without doing so, you could be shifting from one problematic material or format to another. Businesses need to think critically about their packaging decisions and avoid jumping to shiny new ‘sustainable’ alternatives without doing their due diligence, as this may simply shift the problem.
Navigating conflicting priorities
One of the biggest influences in a business’s packaging design decision is whether it will meet consumer expectations. This can pressure businesses to make snap packaging decisions that are not always the best in terms of sustainability and environmental impact.
Perhaps they select a cheaper format and forgo sustainability or retain existing formats to avoid backlash from consumers resistant to change. Alternatively, they pick a packaging format that has strong sustainability credentials but isn’t the best fit for the product, risking product damage and negative environmental consequences.
Several big brands have moved away from plastic packaging to alternative formats. Some have opted for compostable cups instead of plastic cups - but did they ensure that the compostable cups had a composting system available to the consumer? Others have replaced single-use plastic bottles with single-use glass bottles, but not considered the emissions associated with transporting glass. Was it simply easier to remove plastic to meet plastic reduction targets, rather than focusing on tackling challenging formats?
Packaging decisions are complex. Nobody knows the product better than the brand owner when it comes to what is required to protect, contain, and transport it, as well as maintain its required lifespan. It is important that these functions are not forgotten in the design stage.
That’s why we’ve outlined below three ways to help businesses make informed, critical decisions when making changes to their packaging.
1. Prioritise your packaging’s purpose
The fundamental purpose of packaging is to protect and contain the product. When considering sustainable packaging, it must fulfil this primary role while also having the least impact on the environment.
This could include impact on land and water, contributions to carbon emissions, litter potential and whether there is a recovery pathway at end-of-life. It’s important to consider these from the start.
A business may be offered an innovative new packaging format that has minimal environmental impact on its own, but if it doesn’t meet its primary function of protecting the product, then it’s not the most sustainable solution for them.
2. Evaluate consumer demand
According to a recent survey from DS Smith, one in four UK online shoppers would stop ordering from a brand due to overpackaging, one in five would willingly pay more for plastic-free packaging, and four in five would prefer to receive a product in paper or cardboard packaging.1 Separately, a 2023 survey from TIPA found that 30% of UK participants preferred compostable packaging over packaging that can be recycled or reused (or had no preference).2
We’re seeing many shifts to compostable formats, but unfortunately there is a lot of greenwashing in the compostables space. Typically, compostable packaging is best suited to aid the recovery of food waste in closed systems – where the material is guaranteed to end up in a composting system. Due to limited accessibility for recovery at this stage, widespread application of compostable packaging is not currently a viable solution for the UK, though it will hopefully be able to play a greater role as we transition to a circular economy and invest in the required infrastructure to handle and process these materials.
We’re also seeing shifts to fibre-based formats in situations where they may not be as suitable or sustainable – requiring laminations or additives to achieve moisture barriers and added strength. Unfortunately, this can impact its recoverability at end-of-life and put stress on natural resources when it is not sourced from certified forests or made using recycled content. There may also be use of hazardous forever chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used for their resistance to water, grease, oil, and heat. Testing for these substances is important, as you don’t want to end up in a situation where the packaging can have detrimental health impacts to the consumer.
Due to the problematic nature of many plastic formats and the exposure to plastic pollution that many people see every day, consumers often have a negative perception of plastics overall. However, this perception can cause businesses to make unsustainable packaging decisions.
While it is crucial that we reduce our reliance on plastics, particularly those made from fossil fuel-based virgin materials, there will inevitably be a role for plastics in the circular economy. In some cases, plastic packaging may be the most sustainable packaging format for a product, particularly if it is made from recycled material and is being readily recycled at scale, with viable end-markets for the recyclate. We’re also seeing significant innovation in the bio-based plastics space, which would allow for the same properties and functional benefits, without the reliance on fossil fuels.
Plastics are often lighter than heavier alternatives like glass, which can mean reduced emissions and costs during transportation.3 This is where it can be helpful to understand the full environmental impact of the packaging, ensuring you evidence your decisions, and communicate the results with consumers.
Taking consumers on the packaging design or decision journey can also help make them feel part of the process. Businesses should clearly explain why they’ve chosen a particular packaging format for their packaging.
If they’ve chosen a material that may be perceived as not being sustainable, explain why. Let the consumer know what makes packaging the most suitable, and how it is sustainable, looking at things like reuse, recycled content, light-weighting and reduced emissions, as well as an end-of-life recovery solution. Ensure packaging is labelled for disposal and communicate this to consumers to reinforce the role they can play in ensuring successful recovery of the material.
3. Avoid greenwashing
If businesses are going to make any sustainability claims about their packaging, they should ensure they have transparent evidence and data to back it up. This helps avoid greenwashing, which is a behaviour or activity that makes people believe a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.
A KPMG survey of 2,000 UK adults from 2023 found that over half of consumers indicated they would stop buying from a business if they were found to have misleading claims around sustainability4, so it is in a business’s best interest to ensure they evidence any claims they make.
Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also important to be aware that the UK Government’s Competition and Markets Authority continues to investigate false or misleading environmental claims that affect consumers.5 As part of this, the Green Claims Code requires any claims to:
be truthful and accurate,
be clear and unambiguous,
not omit or hide important information,
only make fair and meaningful comparisons,
consider the full life cycle of the product, and
be substantiated.6
With any claims made on the sustainability of packaging, businesses should ensure they comply with the above to avoid potential regulatory repercussions.
Guiding your packaging sustainability journey
Navigating sustainability in packaging design can be challenging. Remember to take your time understanding the entire product-packaging system, ensuring the product is properly packaged and fit-for-purpose, and make evidence-based decisions to avoid greenwashing. Additionally, engage your customers by explaining your choices, especially if they might initially perceive them as unfavourable – take them on the journey with you.
If you need more support on your packaging sustainability journey, please reach out to Ecosurety’s advisory team at info@ecosurety.com - we’re here to help!
References:
1 DS Smith (2023). 1 in 4 UK consumers would stop ordering from a brand due to overpackaging.
2 TIPA (2023). Poll Highlights: Compostable Packaging Gains Momentum.
3 Ecochain (2024). What has the lowest impact: glass vs. plastic packaging.
4 KPMG (2023). Over half of UK consumers prepared to boycott brands over misleading green claims.
5 UK Government (2023). Misleading environmental claims.
6 UK Government (2024). Get your green claims right.
