Look, we know we're not telling you anything revolutionary about the problem with packaging. But let's just lay it all out there anyway. Because we're routinely surprised by how often the focus of a brand's packaging sustainability efforts are focused on "recycling". So here's a VERY high level breakdown of the problem with many kinds of packaging systems across the stages of it's lifecycle:

Raw Materials Extraction & Production

Like lots of products, many of the impacts associated with the materials used in packaging (e.g. plastics, paper, metal) happen in the early phases of the packaging lifecycle. Think air and water pollution, GHG emissions, biodiversity impacts, etc. If you're using virgin petroleum based plastic...well you know.

Manufacturing

Not often a major source of impacts for packaging, but this is where you run into problems with the kinds of chemicals used (intentionally or unintentionally) that can impact people during the use phase. Some of the chemicals used in packaging production can also create problems downstream in terms of recyclng and reuse.

Product Use

As we noted above, this is where your materials and chemicals choices can really impact people. Think PFAS used to coat plastic or phthalates leaching into food. And also microplastics making their way into our brains. Yikes.

End-of-Life

This phase of the lifecycle gets a lot of attention -and rightly so. Our oceans are filling up with plastics. And so are our bodies. We have to figure out how to close the loop. Quickly.

Note that our list of lifecycle phases is our version and is simplified. Learn more about LCA from the European Commission.

So there. We quickly laid out (some) of the problems our current packaging systems cause. Now let's talk about the concepts that can help us design solutions. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has a well respected and broadly recognized framework for the circular economy that is intended to help transform the way we manage materials in our economy and society. Here's a snapshot of the main principles of their framework:

• Eliminate waste and pollution: Solutions that eliminate waste and pollution upfront through innovative solutions at the design phase.

• Circulate products and materials (at their highest value): Designing durable products that can be reused, remanufactured, or recycled to extend their lifespan.

• Regenerate nature: Enhancing natural systems through nutrients to rebuild capital rather than depleting and destroying it.

In short, the idea is that we need to rapidly move from a liner system of managing materials (aka “take-make-waste”) to one where waste is eliminated and valuable materials cycle back into upstream phases of a product lifecycle - or better yet, get reused in their original form.  

So how can we apply these circular economy principles to our packaging? TL;DR is that it's all about design. Yes, we need to fix our recycling systems. But the design phases is where have the most potential for creating

Eliminate waste & pollution

Our resources are finite. Start by getting rid of packaging your don't need. If any part of your packaging lifecycle creates waste then that's an opportunity for better design.

Circulate products and materials

For consumer goods products this means creating refillable systems and/or creating packaging out of recycled material. We need to find new uses for existing materials. For example, only about 5-9% of the plastic that we put into curbside recycling programs are actually getting reused.  

Regenerate nature

This is where some fun innovation comes into play. We’re starting to see materials like seaweed, which sequesters carbon, take the place of other more toxic and dangerous materials like virgin plastic.

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Here's where the rubber meets the road. How do you apply these principles at an organizational level? Based on our experience, here are the steps we use:

1. Define packaging sustainability for your brand
2. Set an ambitious goal
3. Leverage your internal design process
4. Use lifecycle assessments
5. Source responsibly
6. Advocate for transformation
7. Pick your battles
8. Be authentic

Additional detail about these steps, including pitfalls to avoid (we call them "watch outs") is available here.