EUROPEN, The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment, and ECR Europe, the group that
promotes collaboration across the supply chain to serve consumers better, faster and at less cost, wrote the
guide to combat widespread mistakes made when evaluating the role of packaging.
As the project co-chairs Sonia Raja and Lars Lundquist put it; the key issue is that packaging is usually viewed as
a stand-alone product. “This ignores its function, which is to protect, distribute, and display wares. A package that
fails to do this well will lead to greater wastage, thus imposing a heavy burden on the environment, irrespective of
its composition.”
The central problem is that the role of packaging in the product supply chain is often too complex to be easily
grasped. This raises the risk that one part of that chain takes a decision that may seem right, but will in fact have
a detrimental impact somewhere else up or down the line. Collectively, such decisions significantly reduce overall
efficiency while raising costs, and can also lead to more waste. The sum total of these isolated decisions
therefore reduces the contribution packaging can make to sustainable development.
Packaging must meet a multitude of functional objectives while minimizing its impact on the environment.
Eurostat data released earlier this year showed that significant progress has already been made. While GDP
grew by 40% from 1998 to 2006, the amount of packaging placed on the EU market only increased by 11%. “The
easiest gains have largely been made”, said Julian Carroll, the Managing Director of EUROPEN. “The challenge
to continue improving the performance of packaging is becoming more complex. And that means that corporate
decision-makers increasingly need to become involved.”
“It makes no sense to talk about ‘sustainable packaging’. The useful discussion is about the positive role of
packaging in the sustainability programmes of companies. An ongoing effort to seek more sustainable ways of
manufacturing and distributing wares is required”, Ms Raja and Mr Lundquist said.
Packaging in the Sustainability Agenda: A Guide for Corporate Decision Makers is designed to help decisionmakers
do just that. Understanding the role of packaging, that crucial but underappreciated component of modern
economies, in this search will help everyone along the supply chain better meet their sustainability objectives.