How to Design and Specify Eco Packaging

Consumer awareness and purchasing decisions are changing packaging design. Manufacturers and retailers are moving away from single-use plastic towards renewable materials. Glass jars, cardboard boxes and aluminium cans are an obvious choice, as they are familiar, trusted and easy to recycle.

The challenge is that not all the materials that appear to be ‘green’ are suitable for processing and reuse. Disposable cardboard coffee cups are a prime example. The thin coating inside the cup that prevents drinks from leaking means that the cups cannot be widely recycled. They have to be disposed of in separate containers and sent to a limited number of specialist recyclers.

To help brands make informed choices about sustainable packaging the Confederation of Paper Industries has produced a valuable resource. The CPI Recycling Guidelines offer insight and advice. They inform manufacturers and retailers about the packaging design and specifications that ensure that paper and board packaging can be processed and reused, time and again.

Read it to ensure your brand is genuinely lowering packaging waste and isn’t simply greenwashing.