In today’s environment of rapidly evolving regulations, increasing supply‑chain pressure, and rising customer expectations, packaging sustainability has become a strategic business priority. Regulatory initiatives such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), combined with retailer requirements and brand commitments, are accelerating the need for structured, data‑driven action.
Across industries, companies are embedding packaging sustainability into product design, sourcing, operations, and investment decisions. A well‑designed packaging sustainability program enables organizations to manage regulatory and operational risks, unlock cost efficiencies, access sustainable financing, identify innovation opportunities, and remain competitive over the medium and long term.
Managing packaging sustainability requires coordination across multiple functions, especially R&D, procurement, operations, quality, marketing, regulatory, and commercial teams.
A structured program, bringing together multiple interlinked packaging initiatives, is therefore the most effective way to turn fragmented activities into a coherent framework that connects business objectives, innovation pipelines, and environmental impact. It also enables alignment across business units, geographies, and packaging portfolios.
Why Build a Packaging Sustainability Program Instead of Isolated Projects?
Standalone packaging projects often address individual topics, eg. light‑weighting, recyclability, recycled content, or compliance, but only a programmatic approach allows packaging to be managed as a strategic agenda.
A packaging sustainability program:
- creates a structured framework for interconnected packaging initiatives,
- enables sharing of data, expertise, and supplier capabilities,
- ensures continuity across years, product cycles, and budget periods,
- avoids duplication and uncoordinated design or compliance efforts,
- strengthens collaboration between packaging, regulatory, procurement, and commercial teams.
This results in:
- improved cost and resource efficiency across packaging portfolios,
- increased regulatory readiness and transparency,
- faster scaling of sustainable packaging innovations,
- more robust management of PPWR and other packaging‑related regulatory obligations.
A packaging sustainability program is not just a list of projects, it is a change‑management mechanism that aligns compliance, innovation, and value creation.
Here are 5 key steps that I have proven in practice:
Step 1: Engage Packaging Stakeholders from the Start
The success of a Packaging Program depends on early alignment between internal teams and external partners across the packaging value chain.
Key activities include:
- engaging packaging development, procurement, operations, marketing, regulatory, suppliers, and customers to understand expectations and constraints,
- clearly communicating the purpose of the Program, its scope, and expected outcomes, regularly and consistently
- actively listening as many critical insights come from teams closest to packaging specifications, production lines, and customer requirements.
Tip:
Create a structured stakeholder‑engagement plan including packaging engineers, converters, material suppliers, waste‑management partners, and key customers. This helps identify packaging‑specific risks and opportunities early, particularly those linked to recyclability, material availability, and compliance feasibility.
Step 2: Establish the Packaging Baseline
Without a robust, data‑driven baseline, packaging sustainability performance cannot be effectively managed or reported.
Core baseline activities include:
- quantifying packaging volumes by material, format, and application,
- assessing recyclability, reuse potential, and recycled‑content levels,
- evaluating cost drivers, operational constraints, and quality requirements,
- mapping packaging flows across markets and jurisdictions.
As part of baseline work: Conduct a PPWR Gap Analysis for Your Organization
A critical element of the packaging baseline is a PPWR gap analysis which is designed to understand how current packaging portfolios align with upcoming regulatory requirements.
This includes:
Identifying areas of regulatory implication
- assessment of packaging types, materials, formats, labeling, and waste streams impacted by PPWR,
- identification of obligations related to recyclability, recycled content, minimization, reuse, and reporting.
Inventory of available data and documentation:
- technical packaging specifications and bills of materials,
- recyclability assessments and availability of collection and recycling infrastructure,
- supplier data
- existing compliance processes and reporting mechanisms.
Identifying gaps and risks:
- packaging formats at risk of non‑compliance,
- missing or unreliable data sources,
- operational or commercial barriers to meeting regulatory thresholds,
- timelines where compliance risks intersect with product or packaging life cycles
- lack of clear ownership of critical areas
Tip:
Treat PPWR gap analysis not as a separate compliance exercise, but as an input into portfolio strategy, innovation priorities, and supplier engagement.
Step 3: Set Packaging Objectives and Build a Regulatory‑Aware Roadmap
Objectives set direction and a roadmap translates ambition into execution.
Key steps include:
- defining a packaging vision for example, portfolio‑wide recyclability, or plastic-free packaging or similar.
- setting measurable short‑, mid‑, and long‑term packaging targets aligned with regulatory timelines,
- developing a structured roadmap linking packaging redesign, supplier transitions, capital investments, and market roll‑outs.
Regulatory requirements should be embedded directly into the roadmap, influencing:
- prioritization of packaging SKUs and markets,
- timing of redesign and qualification cycles,
- investment decisions and contractual arrangements with suppliers.
Tip:
Balance regulatory‑driven “must‑do” initiatives with innovation‑led projects. Because an early compliance wins build confidence and credibility, while longer‑term packaging transformation supports differentiation and growth.
Step 4: Implement Through Strong Governance and Regulatory Integration
Successful packaging sustainability execution depends on disciplined governance and clear accountability.
For effective implementation:
- define an action plan with owners, milestones, and packaging‑specific KPIs,
- establish program governance linking packaging, regulatory, operations, procurement, and commercial leadership,
- ensure regulatory monitoring (e.g. PPWR updates) is formally integrated into decision‑making and prioritization,
- track progress regularly and adjust the roadmap to reflect regulatory clarification, supplier readiness, and business constraints,
- equip teams with access to packaging analytics, regulatory expertise, and validated tools.
Tip:
Select program and project leaders with cross‑functional credibility and therefore an understanding of both packaging technical constraints and regulatory expectations. Packaging sustainability programs are powerful platforms for developing future leaders.
Step 5: Communicate Packaging Progress Transparently and Build Capabilities
A packaging sustainability program only succeeds if it is understood and trusted, both internally and externally.
Key practices include:
- communicating early and consistently about packaging objectives, regulatory drivers, and progress,
- grounding claims in verified packaging data and compliance assumptions, to avoid greenwashing,
- clearly distinguishing compliant packaging solutions from transitional or pilot concepts,
- assigning clear ownership for packaging data, regulatory interpretation, and external messaging,
- providing teams with training and practical guidance on packaging sustainability and PPWR requirements.
Tip:
Translate packaging metrics into real‑world examples, for instance: specific packs redesigned, materials changed, risks mitigated. Share lessons learned and recognize the contribution of teams across the packaging value chain.
A Long‑Term Commitment to Packaging Transformation
A Sustainable Packaging Program represents a medium to long‑term commitment toward defined environmental, regulatory, and business objectives. While the overall program framework should be established upfront, the detailed scope and planning of individual packaging projects should be refined annually.
This allows the program to adapt to regulatory developments (such as PPWR implementation details), technological progress, market constraints, and achieved results. Each packaging initiative contributes value: economic, operational, regulatory, and reputational.
Writen by: Martina Balazs
