Packaging plays a role in everyday life and has a huge impact on climate change. Whether it’s picking up that daily coffee, carrying out lunch or dinner, or having household items and clothes shipped to the front door there is a whole lot of packaging that the world needs to contend with. And at the end of the day, what happens to the cup, the take out box, or the shipping package after they’ve served their purpose?
In the last decade there has been more focus on creating packaging that can be composted, recycled or reused. This has led to a shift away from styrofoam containers and plastic straws, but there is a clear need for companies to do more to make packaging sustainable.
As businesses race to meet the 2025 sustainable packaging goals, some states passed groundbreaking legislation in 2021 to help address issues within the recycling system that don’t seem to be working. The legislation also supports companies in their efforts to meet sustainability commitments more efficiently.
While recycling has been part of the solution when it comes to packaging, the movement toward reducing the impact of packaging on the planet is taking many directions. The concept of refill and reuse has gained a lot of movement in recent years. This is the practice of implementing reusable containers (think glass milk jugs or beer growlers) which can be cleaned, refilled, and used again. This eliminates the need to buy a new container every purchase and keeps items out of the landfill.
Another effort is moving toward flexible packaging for shipping items. This process requires less rigid materials, allowing for more space to be available during transport. These changes ultimately reduce emissions because you can move more items at one time.
And while compostable and biodegradable packaging has been around for awhile, it’s typically been used for perishable items like food take out. However, more retail brands are implementing the use of compostable packaging when it comes to shipping clothing, shoes and more in an effort to lower their carbon footprint as well.
While this wide range of efforts is being made, the overall process of reducing waste has been slow going. When it comes to making choices that may lead to lost revenue, Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, said "I haven't seen [such] sacrifice-based sustainability decisions yet and those are the ones I'm watching for. That’s the magic that's going to change our world."