Packaging 101
The role of packaging and avoiding greenwashing in the supply chain
Packaging serves multiple functions throughout its life, including protecting the integrity of the product, providing product information (and packaging information), and branding. As a result, packaging should be selected with consideration of the product it contains to ensure it is fit for purpose. Without this consideration, you risk having product waste which can have significant environmental impacts.
As industry moves to sustainable packaging options, it's important that the above is considered when making a switch. Consideration of the whole lifecycle and how the packaging interacts with the product is critical. Plastic often gets demonised - but in some cases, it's the most sustainable and suitable material for the protection of a product, particularly if it contains recycled content and is reusable or recoverable at end-of-life. If you are using plastic packaging, you want to ensure you're avoiding problematic and/or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging - think PVC, EPS and rigid plastics containing carbon black (which inhibits recycling). Ensure that the plastic has an end-of-life recovery solution and reduce the likelihood of it becoming litter and entering our natural environment.
Ensure you avoid switching to "eco-friendly" packaging for the sake of "going green" - maybe that plastic container is a more sustainable packaging solution than the fibre container for your product - do your due diligence. The Sustainable Packaging Guidelines are a great tool to use when trying to weigh up all of these competing requirements. Tools such as lifecycle analysis (LCA) can also be used to consider the full environmental impact from design and manufacturer to end-of-life of the packaging.
It’s also important to think about the waste hierarchy – always look to avoid or reduce unnecessary packaging, and if it is necessary, investigate the opportunity to use reusable packaging. You then should consider if the material can be recycled or composted at end-of-life, and ideally, whether it can be made from recycled content.
For example:
In 2019, Australia Post had an LCA conducted to determine the best packaging format for delivery satchels/cartons. The LCA compared five formats: a plastic satchel made from virgin (fossil fuel-based) LDPE, a satchel made from compostable plastic, a plastic satchel made from 80% recycled LDPE, a plastic satchel made from 100% recycled LDPE, and a cardboard box.
The LCA found that the 100% recycled content LDPE satchel was the most environmentally friendly option when looking at greenhouse gas emissions, non-renewable energy/minerals use, freshwater consumption, land us, and impact on ecosphere/ecosystems quality. Read the report and outcomes here.