While having sustainability initiatives in place has been a business imperative for most companies for several years now, efforts specifically geared towards sustainable packaging are still a relatively new focus area for most.
The first set of modern goals were initiated around 2018. Much of the corporate, academic and government alignment was driven by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) and the EMF New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. One of EMF’s key visions for the future of sustainable packaging is the commitment to 100% of plastic packaging being recyclable, reusable or compostable.
In recent years, companies have begun to set ambitious goals for sustainable packaging. However, there is a significant gap today between these goals and organizations’ ability to not only achieve authentic sustainability targets, but, more urgently, to achieve their short-term goals.
Accordingly, in Gartner’s Supply Chain Predicts for 2022 sustainable packaging was identified as an area that needs urgent attention. Specifically, the predict states “by 2025, 90% of public sustainable packaging commitments won’t be met due to reliance on plastics and single-use packaging.”
With Earth Day celebrations on April 22, many organizations reflect on progress they have made on sustainability goals. While some tout their successes, strong consideration should be given to why so few are on a path to meeting sustainable packaging commitments. There are several contributing factors that are hindering progress for many.