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NOTES

Thank you for checking out our Ready-to-Present Lunch & Learn!

We developed these for Directors of Sustainability and other Intrapreneurs who are interested in creating internal discussions and establish internal alignment on topics around sustainability and packaging.

Create a copy of this document!
Review and change it however you’d like! You can use this as is, or consider them a starting point.
Then gather your team to present and discuss!
Would you like support? We’d love to help!

Contact us if you’d like to talk prepare for your talk together
Contact us if you’d like someone from EcoEnclose to present directly to your team!
Contact us if there is new content you’d like to see

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What is Sustainable Packaging?

A Lunch & Learn Presentation and Conversation

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Session Objectives & Contents

Objective: Define what sustainability and sustainable packaging mean within our company, to help departments make quicker decisions that are aligned with our brand’s overall ecological commitments.

Why is sustainability in packaging important?
A vision and framework for sustainable packaging
Importance of progress over performance
Using a framework to answer the most complex questions
How does sustainability impact costs? How does it impact branding?

Discussion: Defining the sustainable packaging decision framework for our brand.

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Why is sustainability in packaging important?

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Today, the majority of packaging…

Requires the extraction of valuable natural resources - from trees to fossil fuels to minerals - in order to make virgin materials.

Is manufactured wherever it can be done cheaply, with minimal regard to labor conditions and transportation efficiency.

Is thrown away, resulting in those natural resources being extracted simply for a single, short-lived use. Sometimes becomes litter in our lands and waterways.

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The extraction, manufacturing and logistics of packaging alone can represent up to 15% of a product’s carbon footprint

According to the Climate Collaborative, packaging accounts for an average of 5% of the energy used in the life cycle of a food product.

Annie’s found packaging to account for 11% of their carbon footprint.

Many articles and sessions about packaging and sustainability focus largely on end of life and the fact that single use packaging is all wasted and can sometimes become litter. While these concepts are true (and will be discussed in more detail on the next slide) it is very important to recognize that the largest impact of all of this packaging is at the early stages of the lifecycle. Extracting virgin inputs to make trees, converting those raw inputs into packaging material, then converting that material into the actual packaging, and transporting all of that to the DC - all of these steps have a significant carbon footprint. It is estimated that packaging accounts for 5-15% of the carbon footprint of a product (depending on the product itself, the size of the SKU, etc). Any brand looking to improve its ecological impact can find that moving to more eco-friendly packaging can help them make strides quickly.

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50%

82%

Packaging waste results in lost opportunity and leads to environmental and health issues

$2-3bn

Ends up Landfilled

Landfills Leak Toxins and Methane

Lost economic opportunity

While the upstream part of packagings lifecycle has the highest environmental impact, the waste all of this - largely single-use - packaging makes up is also an important concern.

26% of our waste (by weight) is packaging - almost all single use. About half ends up landfilled. This is - first and foremost - a total waste of the raw materials that went into the production of something to be used only once. There are also a lot of issues with landfills.

Leachate - paper, plastic and other materials leach a variety of toxins into groundwater. For example, papers often contain heavy metals and PFAs, which then get leached into the groundwater and soils.
When material degrades / biodegrades in landfills also leads to methane - a GHG that is, at least initially - 84 times more potent than CO2. While landfills are designed not to leak, the majority of them do.

This pollution harms local animal and plant life and makes landfills a environmental justice issue, especially as they are typically located next to low income communities of color. Living near a landfill increases the risk of - birth defects, low birth weight, certain types of cancers, fatigue and headaches.

While ecommerce packaging is not typically the type of plastic packaging that becomes litter, certain types - such as those air pillows - can become fly aways atop garbage bins.

Finally, one of the biggest issues associated with single use packaging waste is the fact that almost all of it represents a tremendous waste of natural resources. The Center for International Environmental Law found that packaging waste represents a loss of 2-3 billion dollars in lost economic opportunity (across OECD countries alone). This is because this packaging is used a single time and then discarded, rather than having those natural / valuable raw materials stay in a circular economy.

Sources:

Packaging Waste:

EPA https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/containers-and-packaging-product-specific-data (we strip out a few of the #s which represent things like pallets)

Recycling Rate:

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/2020-view-sustainable-packaging

https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/containers-and-packaging-product-specific-data#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20the%20recycling%20rate,of%20total%20landfilling)%20in%202018.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/2015_smm_msw_factsheet_07242018_fnl_508_002.pdf

2-5% of recycled good ultimately get landfilled (EcoCycle Green Business Workshop)

Landfill Leak Percentages:

http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/LandfillFailures20191.pdf

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63%

Disposing of packaging waste is one of the first physical interactions our consumers have with our brand.

of consumers are extremely or very concerned about the environmental impact of packaging

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A vision and framework for sustainable packaging (and why a vision and framework are critical)

When brands decide to prioritize sustainability and sustainable packaging in particular, a critical first step is to define what sustainable packaging / sustainability means to them, as a way to provide guardrails and clear internal direction. Unfortunately, many brands and companies don’t take this approach and find themselves in a situation where they chase after different “green” claims and end up calling anything with an eco attribute sustainable. While this is well intentioned, it can accidentally become “greenwashing” and - more importantly - can lead eco-minded brands to pursue strategies that aren’t actually better for the planet.

Over the next few slides, we’ll talk about a proposed vision for sustainable packaging and a series of framework criteria that helps build up to that vision.

While the vision itself (which is EcoEnclose’s) is strong and very well fleshed out, it does not necessarily have to become our vision and framework.

Instead, I hope this conversation helps:

Clarify the importance of having a centralized vision and decision framework that all departments and teams can lean on when making decisions, and demonstrate ho a vision helps guide brands through complicated tradeoffs.
Give insights about sustainability and circularity when it comes to packaging, to help us have an informed dialogue when crafting our own vision and framework

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A Vision:

All packaging is made out of packaging. and then becomes packaging again.

If virgin inputs are ever needed, they are net positive for the planet.

That’s true circularity.

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What does it take to achieve that vision?

If virgin content is needed, assess and choose the one with the lowest footprint across the lifecycle.

When comparing two different recycled materials, choose the one with the lowest LCA footprint.

Prioritize reuse when it is ecologically superior.

Find ways to improve the small details of packaging and their ecological impact.

Work with transparent, aligned, innovative partners. Be transparent and innovative ourselves.

Maximize recycled content.

Maximize recyclability.

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For packaging to be made from packaging…

It needs to be properly recycled at the end of its useful life….

…and it needs to be purchased at the right price and remanufactured into packaging

Maximize recycled content Maximize recyclability

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…so a top priority must be to:

It needs to be properly recycled at the end of its useful life….

…and it needs to be purchased at the right price and remanufactured into packaging

Design for recyclability

Maximize recycled content (esp post consumer waste)

Maximize recycled content Maximize recyclability

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Reducing the need to extract natural resources, which

Saves non-renewable resources
Protects forests, habitats, biodiversity, freshwater
Supports soil health
Supports human health

Reducing carbon emissions up to 90% (vs virgin inputs)

Prioritizing recycled content also drives additional critical social and environmental benefits

Bolstering a domestic supply chain and green jobs

Maximize recycled content Maximize recyclability

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Reusability should be considered and pursued when it an ecological win (or drives innovation)

Primary packaging can be made reusable and refillable

Some have features to make dual-use more standard

Prioritize reuse when it is ecologically superior

Even single-use packages can be used at least one more time

Reusable mailers are great for business models with high returns

Reusability is another key aspect of achieving true circularity. If packaging can be reused - once, twice, or many times - before it is then recycled - that creates an even tighter loop of circularity. There are times when reusability is obvious.

Examples: If we ran a coffee shop, giving in-house customers reusable mugs. If we had a storefront, asking customers to bring their own reusable bags.

There are also times when the ecological benefits of designing a fully reusable package aren’t clear.

For example: Reusable ecommerce packaging is interesting, however, in most cases it must be reused 10-30+ times before we can be confident that the reusable package will have a carbon footprint as low as a single use poly mailer. That means consumers have to return the bags at high rates and that we have to be confident these bags woudln’t get damaged in their first few rounds of transit. For some brands (clothing rental companies as an example), reusable packaging is an obvious choice. With other brands, it may not yet be obvious.

Brands are also starting to create refill models for subscriptions. For example, a brand would sell one reusable jar of vitamins and then follow up each month with a refill bottle in a lightweight, curbside recyclable package. These models are interesting, and the ecological footprint across the lifecycle should be assess.

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Discussion:

Recycled, Recyclable, Reusable

These three characteristics are the most important things to consider when developing packaging that is as circular as possible.

How are we currently prioritizing recycled content?

Recyclability?

Reusability?

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Consider the entire lifecycle and broad impact

Even after prioritizing recycled content, recyclability and reusability, there are a number of important decisions to make, for example:

Structural design and how much material is used (i.e. a box and a paper mailer are both paper. One may give better protection if that is needed. The other uses a lot less material)
What kind of material is being used? Recycled aluminum? Recycled Paper? Recycled Plastic? Recycled glass?
When navigating these decisions, we’d want to:

Find a recycled material that does the best job functionally
Assess the environmental footprint of different materials and - if they are functionally similar - choose the one with the lowest impact on the most concerning ecological issues (i.e. Nitrogen / phosphorus runoff, biodiversity loss and extinctions, land system change, climate change)

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Assess the footprint and impact at a deeper level before deciding on the best material.

When virgin material is needed, and raw materials must be extracted, recognize the tradeoffs and complexities.

Make science-based decisions about virgin inputs

In some cases, we may find that we can’t achieve 100% recycled content. In these cases - if we were building towards circularity and net positive virgin inputs - our goal would be to source virgin inputs in ways that minimize destruction (across the top planetary boundaries) AND see what our opportunities are to innovate towards something net positive long-term. Or example:

If we found we needed virgin plastic, we may be debating between bioplastic and fossil fuel plastic. While corn plastic seems interesting at its surface (bc it is renewable), a deeper assessment would show us that corn production is the leading driver of nitrogen / phosphorus runoff and land use change worldwide - two of the most critical / pressing issues visualized in the 9 planetary boundaries. Fossil fuels are of course a key driver of climate change. However, further analysis would show us that fossil fuel requirements for corn production are also very high and that the carbon footprint of virgin fossil fuels is lower than that of corn-based plastics.

With this analysis - we’d likely opt for virgin fossil fuel plastic, with a plan in place to move that virgin content to either recycled content (preferred) or a promising regenerative bioplastic over time.

If we found we needed virgin paper, we are likely looking at tree paper. Given that virgin tree paper drives so much deforestation, land use change, and biodiversity loss we’d want to make sure our paper sourcing is as eco thoughtful as possible.

We may try to look for tree-free fibers – switch grass, hemp, bagasse, bamboo, etc.
If that isn’t feasible, we’d - at a minimum - ensure that our virgin tree fiber is from managed plantations (not old growth forests) and is being grown in sustainable ways (ideally FSC certified) - with a plan in place to move towards regenerative tree free fibers or recycled content over time.

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Printing ink, packaging tape, adhesives, and colorants - these components make up a small part of packaging solutions, but represent opportunities for advancement.

Consider the small details

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Transparent, aligned partners

Who know and can share the data and details of their offerings and supply chain

And will collaborate on packaging design, development and sustainability innovation

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How important are certifications?

And what certifications are important?

Certifications should be of secondary importance. Designing packaging aligned with our sustainability framework must come first. In situations when it is difficult to verify important features, certifications can be helpful.

Transparent, aligned partners

Regardless of our sustainability vision and framework, in most cases, certifications can be PART of the conversation but we should not lead our decisions with sustainability.

Two examples.

If you lead with certification in the world of paper sourcing, you may start a convo with “Is it sustainably certified?”. But if our vision is circularity and we are prioritizing recycled content, this would be the wrong question / wrong certification. Our first question should be - is the material 100% recycled? If so, how can we confirm it is actually 100% recycled. In most cases, recycled content can be readily verified with a quick supply chain audit and certification isn’t required.

Similarly, if our goals are related to ethical labor treatment, we might ask for labor standard certifications only to find that these aren’t applicable given our commitment to sourcing domestically where our efforts are helping to build a strong onshore recycling supply chain. If in fact we want to manufacture domestically, we may not require or desire a labor standards certification and may instead ask to do a virtual facilities audit.

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Supportive alliances and collaborations can propel our sustainability efforts forward much faster (and can be far more valuable than certifications).

Transparent, aligned partners

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Importance of prioritizing progress over perfection

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Our packaging isn’t going to be perfect

Let’s make the best decisions we can, assess and acknowledge the shortcomings, and have a roadmap towards innovation and progress.

Virgin Poly Bag →

100% recycled poly + glassine bag

100% recycled paper wrap

Roll wrap and bladder bag

Our vision should be a long-term goal that inspires our action.

But we acknowledge that all of our packaging is far from perfect today.

So, our decision framework is there to guide the best day-to-day decisions possible, AND direct our packaging innovation roadmap.

At every step, let’s celebrate our wins, acknowledge where we’re still falling short, and keep moving towards a more ideal end state.

For example

If we’re using virgin poly bags today.

Step 1 may be to move them as quickly as possible to 100% recycled poly bags (and where we can, test glassine bags)

Step 2 may be to move our entire supply chain to full coverage paper wraps - allowing us to use 100% recycled paper

Step 3 - long-term - may be to use rollwraps across our entire business and place them in large protected cases - giving us a true minimalistic packaging strategic across our supply chain.

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Using a framework to work through complex sustainability questions

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A framework in action

We often face packaging questions without obvious answers.

A sustainability vision and decision framework can help all of us respond to these questions consistently and in ways that support our broader goals.

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Design to Recycle or Compost?

Designing for recyclability directly support the vision of making packaging out of packaging.

Composting is linear and destructive to our soils and waterways.

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Paper or Plastic?

First, let’s confirm they are both 100% recycled!

If so, paper is more circular. Plastic is more carbon efficient and cost efficient (and investing in recycled plastic helps drive plastic recycling)

When comparing plastic and paper, the vision and framework described earlier would drive a brand to first ask - are both recycled? Making packaging with 100% recycled content is the first priority. Assuming both are recycled, then we’d move onto the next steps in the decision framework.

Paper and many plastics (such as a bubble mailer or poly bag) are recyclable.

However, paper is more readily recyclable than plastic largely because it is accepted curbside (while thin film plastic must be put into thin film bins). Through this lens, paper is preferred according to the framework.

Plastic packaging is, however, easier to reuse. Poly mailers and bubble mailers can be manufactured for a second use and are more likely than paper to hold up for a return trip.

Finally, recycled plastic has a lower carbon footprint than recycled paper. Virgin plastic also has a lower carbon footprint than virgin paper.

Recycled plastic is also significantly less expensive than paper.

When all taken together, it becomes clear that the decision between paper and plastic isn’t necessarily cut and dried. When reviewed through the lens of the previous framework, paper edges out plastic. However, if our brand required the functionality or cost structure or plastic (or if we were uncomfortable with the extra carbon emissions associated with paper), recycled plastic can be justified.

Paper -> circularity. Paper is more likely to be recycled (and not downcycled) AND is far more easily recyclable (curbside). 75% of paper is recycled.

Plastic -> right now, has circularity challenges. It is typically downcycled and plastic film has to be single stream recycled in a thin film bin bc of its sorting challenges.

But study after study has shown that plastic has a lower carbon footprint than an equivalent paper based packaging. The making of paper and other natural fibers is resource intensive. And to achieve the same functionality - you can use less than 10% of the plastic than paper.

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/09/735848489/plastic-has-a-big-carbon-footprint-but-that-isnt-the-whole-story

https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Education-Resources/Publications/Impact-of-Plastics-Packaging.pdf

http://www.allaboutbags.ca/papervplasticstudies.html

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Recycled or Bio-Based Plastic?

High recycled content is circular, has lower emissions, and has less devastation to our soils and waterways.

If virgin plastic is critical, input materials must be thoroughly vetted.

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How does sustainability align with costs?

And with our branding?

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Pricing of packaging varies drastically - based on quality, durability, usability features and sometimes due to sustainability attributes.

Uline

Starting price $0.22

Virgin materials

Single use

EcoEnclose

Starting price $0.21

100% recycled

One Reuse Cycle

FU Global (Amazon)

Price $0.10

Virgin materials

40% thinner film

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69%

77%

of consumers believe that ecommerce packaging is reflective of a company’s environmental values.

of shoppers actively seek out eco-conscious brands and are willing to to pay more for recycled products.

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73% of consumers are more likely to buy a product packaged sustainably.

Many will also pay a premium.

While lower priced packaging options may exist, the small cost differential for a more ethical and sustainable option is generally worth the investment in your values and brand.

Shopify Future of Ecommerce

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Sustainable packaging is typically not glossy or overdone.

But can lead to a brand experience that prompts more loyalty than shiny, non-eco packaging.

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Discussion

What is our decision framework for sustainable packaging?

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Our Vision: A Discussion

What is our sustainability and packaging vision?

Circularity

Carbon Neutral

Landfill Diversion

Regenerative

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What Will Our Decision Criteria Be?

Regenerative Inputs

�Protecting Forests

Minimizing Plastic Pollution

Lowest Carbon Footprint

Recycled Content

�Recyclability

Curbside Recyclability

Domestic Sourcing

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What Will Our Decision Criteria Be?

What will enable us to achieve our vision?

How should we rank order our criteria?

Plastic Free

�Naturally Biodegradable

Minimizing Runoff

Minimizing Air Pollution

Minimize Source Material

WBE and MBE Partners

Environmental Justice

Protecting Biodiversity

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What does this mean for our current packaging solutions?

Which packaging solutions are already well aligned?

Where are we falling short the most?