Sustainable Packaging
SMALL CHANGES HAVE BIG IMPACT
Packaging to reflect your values
Packaging says a lot about your brand values, so as the first touch point with customers, it matters.
We help brands develop packaging that works for the product, the customer and the environment, from assessing what you have today to helping you design what comes next.
Many of our packaging-related projects are for businesses that are new to sustainability and whose clients need them to align with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). We can often help them through our quick-start CATALYST programme.
If you are looking for a more in-depth assessment, we can help with that too. Taking a lifecycle approach will give you the confidence that any changes will make a real difference, rather than relying on assumptions about which materials are best.
If you want to go further still, we have particular expertise in the design and development of refillable packaging, and in understanding what makes customers tick, so that new formats are ones people will actually use. In fact, in 2014 I ran a 3-year research project for Boots UK looking at this in a lot of detail.
Packaging Opportunity Scan
“How do we reduce the environmental impact of our packaging?”
A review of your pack or packaging range to identify the main sustainability ‘hotspots’ and opportunities for delivering, protecting and promoting your products, in your sector, for your client base.
What this may include:
- Carbon-informed hotspot analysis
- Concept comparison to identify the right way forward (e.g. polybag vs cardboard pack)
- Identification of value-creating opportunities (risk, efficiency, differentiation)
- Identifying clear priority areas for action
Best suited to organisations that want:
- Evidence to drive their decisions about their future packaging
- Data to ensure they align with PPWR requirements
- To feel confident that they are focusing on the right areas
In practice: For Triton Showers we used LCA software to identify breakeven points between product protection and carbon impact for a range of packaging concepts. We landed on a hybrid of 2 of the concepts assessed. An additional bonus arose from the fact that the new packs were predominantly brown boxes, which meant that they didn’t need so much protection in transit. As such they could be shipped to site in reusable, collapsible pallet boxes made from heavy gauge card, which saved even more carbon (and money).
Prices from: £1700
Circular Packaging Feasibility Assessment
“Are refillables viable for our sector?”
A focused piece of work to assess whether a refill or reuse model could work for your products and customers.
This may include:
- Benchmarking to understand the success of competitor refill schemes in the sector
- Qualitative analysis of a range of concepts
- Feasibility assessment
- Mapping out viable circular pathways
Best suited to organisations looking to:
- Explore technical, emotional and financial viability
- Identify blockers and enablers in circularity
In practice: I worked with Boots UK to explore the viability of refillable packaging in the personal care market. This involved prototyping and consumer testing.
Prices from: £1700