How Some Businesses Measure Sustainability of Packaging

Companies are realizing opportunities and communicating with consumers about sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging strategies and robust consumer testing is carried out, especially by large organizations before design and implementation of packaging.¹⁴

Sustainability means different things to different companies. Where one packager may define sustainability as avoiding greenhouse gases, another may define it as reducing food waste.

With recent packaging innovations such as recyclable films hitting the market, it’s important to understand the true environmental impact of the packaging value chain. Almost all the top 100 FMCG companies have made bold statements to drive sustainability over the coming years.¹⁵

Many of these companies are setting packaging sustainability goals to be achieved by 2025. SPC’s Goals Database includes 640 entries of goals and statements of interest from 100 brands and retailers.

Some of these goals include:

Using bio-based/renewable materials
Eliminating unfavorable materials
Improving recovery infrastructure
Increasing recycling
Material efficiency
Design for recovery
Increasing recycled content in packaging
Responsible fiber sourcing
Volumetric efficiency