'Using less materials and more reusable packaging'

“Our mission is to create a world in which all products are regenerative, inclusive and harmless to people and the environment. Many organisations tend to sweep sustainability under the rug. Their business models are designed to maximise revenue with disposable products and packaging systems, with little to no attention given to the manner in which we use our precious natural resources. Think of e.g. fossil resources, water and other materials needed for the production of packaging materials. There is a lack of awareness and willingness to invest in sustainability.”

“When I got a job in the packaging industry after completing my education in sustainable product design, I was surprised to see that many businesses - in a world with a rapidly growing population and dwindling resources - based their business models on linear rather than regenerative consumption. I founded ROOT to support international FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) brands with environmental analyses and innovative packaging strategies and help them honour their social obligations.”

Sustainability plans

“Every organisation needs a corporate environmental or sustainability plan. Although many businesses have such plans, they often lack ambition or specificity. With the exception of a few multinationals, most businesses also do not have a clear packaging strategy that outlines what they do with their packaging materials and why. If they do have a strategy in place, the focus is mainly on technical aspects. However, there are many more aspects to packaging materials, including social aspects. Packaging materials form the most important physical contact moment between producers and consumers. A company's packaging strategy should therefore also be tailored towards consumers.”

“When it comes to packaging materials, many companies have a long way to go to make their organisation future-proof. They need a concrete and measurable plan that shows exactly how their organisation proactively strives to achieve its targets with regard to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing their environmental impact. It is essential that businesses give serious thought to and invest in alternative products and systems that are designed for more than single use.”

“Various suppliers of packaging materials are already working hard on these issues and they deserve praise for their dedication. On the other hand, some businesses are trying to preserve a failing system. They produce packaging materials that are not designed to be recycled in an effective and affordable manner. Multilayer flexible packaging solutions are one example of this. Instead, we should focus on developing packaging components that meet today's environmental requirements and protect humanity and our society. Packaging materials should be designed to support a product's entire life cycle. Existing regulations must be more strictly enforced to send a clear signal to parties who still believe that protecting our environment is not a pressing concern. Many businesses simply wait for the government to introduce new laws and regulations before taking action. That means they are always one step behind.”

Societal change and consumer behaviour

“COVID-19 has shown us how quickly we can take action to protect people against the impact of a pandemic. It is my hope that the corona crisis will give some members of our society more psychological insight into what truly matters in our lives: getting people and businesses to behave in a more responsible manner that shows more respect for our society and our natural environment. I expect that circa twenty percent of the population will start to behave in a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible manner and that people in general will become more aware of their role in and responsibility towards our society, instead of focusing only on themselves. Our future depends on a behavioural change that is based on healthier personal values and the resulting needs and consumption patterns.”

“The solution to slowing down climate change has little to do with replacing a material. First of all, we must reduce our use of fossil fuels. However, for the production of some disposable packaging materials, these fossil fuels help to significantly reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emission levels, compared to alternative materials such as metal, glass and paper. Many biogenic materials have a much higher impact in terms of the use of water and chemicals. The conclusion is therefore that every material has its own downsides. We must simply use fewer materials.”

“Although a number of reusable, refillable packaging concepts have been tested, no underlying strategy has been developed. There is no solid foundation of evidence to built upon. These concepts are praised with much positive PR, only for them to turn out to be less successful than people were expecting or hoping for because no solid foundation was established beforehand. This also explains the relative lack of feedback or data pertaining to refilling schemes. This can primarily be explained by the fact that we do not fully comprehend the meaning of user-centric design; we do not give sufficient thought to the packaging's design. There are other reasons as well: in some cases, the lack of choice with regard to suppliers poses a significant challenge. Clients, in turn, often prove unwilling to change their behaviour. They are demanding. When a new product delivery system is introduced on the market, people are loath to make concessions and even expect improvements instead. It is always about what the client wants and needs. Are they willing and able to store a bulk packaging in their homes, are they willing to go to the store, are they physically capable of lifting a heavy packaging?”

“In our studies, we consistently ask consumers what they expect from a product or packaging. No one ever talks about innovation. Instead, they want something that is sturdy, easy to use (no compromise) and allows them to save both time and money, all while reducing their environmental impact. Some people tend to talk about ‘ecodesign’ without really knowing what that entails. To me, ‘ecodesign’ is a meaningless term.”

Turning passion into action

“On the other end of the spectrum, there is the big picture of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF). The EMF operates at an extremely high level, which tends to be too strategic and conceptual for some people to understand properly. This issue also affects some government strategies: the theory lacks detail. I attended various programme launches and afterwards spoke to attendees who were deeply impressed by the wonderful picture that was painted. However, they did not have a clear understanding of what they had to do to translate those fine words into concrete action. People go home afterwards, still impressed by what they heard, while at the same time having no idea what needs to be done to turn that passion into action.”

“It seems the industry is primarily looking for gradual innovation. However, that will absolutely not allow us to make enough progress to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement. The focus is primarily on recycling and the use of recycled material; most attention is given to the simplification of waste and waste collection. So-called new or innovative materials are often a real nightmare for the waste processing industry. Their systems require consistency and volume, not new material streams for which there are no collection or recycling methods in place.”

Less material use and more reusable packaging

“Materials that cannot be recycled should be taken off the market entirely. Furthermore, we have to start using more recycled material, even though that still requires the use of fossil resources and therefore does not do much to help us curb our use of these resources - despite the fact that this is one of the key challenges we face. Many strategic goals and forms of government policy actually stimulate the disposable society. We need clear strategies that distinguish between disposable packaging materials and reusable/sustainable product delivery systems and which inspire people to use fewer materials.”

“My question is what the European Commission can do to get member states to reduce their material use and introduce reusable and refillable systems that do not produce any waste. When my clients ask us for a global packaging strategy, we can offer them that. However, it has to be divided into different markets, because every European country has its own infrastructure and because the materials and volumes also differ per country. The same goes for the manner in which global targets, such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, are translated into national policies. It is a difficult task. It is possible that the European infrastructure will be more balanced, consistent, streamlined and cost-effective in five to ten years’ time. However, many brands need a global strategy, given that the infrastructure, the funding and the way in which waste processing is managed may be structured entirely differently on other continents.”

“We need to develop clear and realistic standards for recycled and reusable/refillable packaging materials. It must be possible to trace back materials to their previous life cycle and systems for reusable and refillable packaging materials must not only exist in theory, but actually be implemented in practice. There are myriad poorly designed semi-disposable packaging materials that appear to be reusable, such as the coffee cups that have flooded the market in recent years. These are made from materials that are not nearly as sustainable as producers would like us to believe and which are often unsuitable for recycling. We need standards, similar to the formalised standards for compostability and biodegradability. Furthermore, we must also become more aware of what is touted as being recyclable and what is actually being recycled. If financial stimuli for reuse, reduced material use and weight reduction are included in the regulations for producer responsibility, we can start off on the right foot.”