The Climate Case
On average, packaging accounts for about 5% of the energy used in the life cycle of a food product making it a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. And for some products, the packaging used has an even bigger impact on climate change than the fuel used to ship it to market.
Here is one example of how packaging compares with other areas of greenhouse gas emissions:
Circular economies are those that design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems [1]. Designing product packaging for circularity and investing in the materials and processes to close resource loops can benefit your company’s bottom line and increase brand reputation and leadership.
The World Economic Forum estimates that through harnessing improvements in both design and end-of-life systems, 50% of the world’s plastic packaging can see economic opportunity even after its initial use, which works out to $2-3 billion annually across OECD countries (including the US) [2]. In recent years, consumer surveys have repeatedly shown US consumers’ preference for companies that take stands on social and environmental issues (43-65% according to 2020 Forbes research) [3].
Packaging communicates more than just a product’s contents; it’s an opportunity to share your company’s values and impact on people and the planet.
Take Action
Companies will implement practices to reduce the GHG emissions associated with their packaging to the greatest degree they deem possible. There are many ways to reduce the climate impact of packaging including reducing materials a.k.a "source reduction"; replacing virgin materials with post-consumer recycled content; replacing traditional plastics made from fossil fuels with biopolymers; re-designing packaging to use materials more efficiently to cut down on the GHG emissions required for transport and storage; and recycling at end of the packaging's life to name just a few practices.
Simply adopting practices like those listed above is a great first step. Using a tool (see the resources section below) to measure the GHG impacts of your packaging can also help you design the negative climate impacts out of your packaging supply chain.
While climate is the focus of the Climate Collaborative, we realize that many factors go into packaging decisions including consumer preference, product shelf-life, price, performance and convenience. Additionally there are multiple environmental considerations including packaging end-of life and circular systems, toxicity, litter, water pollution, marine eco toxicity and more. The ideal is to achieve climate reductions while simultaneously addressing other key factors that your company may value.
Companies committing to reduce climate impact of packaging will be expected to complete an annual online questionnaire updating the Climate Collaborative on progress made toward the commitment. The questionnaire will be short and should not be burdensome to complete.
Resources
Access more resources to help support your packaging work
- Make an Packaging Commitment through the Climate Collaborative
- Visit our Packaging Resources to access case studies, videos, tools, and other resources from our partners.
- For those looking for thought leadership opportunities and material solutions for compostable and bio-based packaging alternatives, OSC2 is available to help!
[1] Ellen MacArthur Foundation
[2] WEF
[3] Forbes
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COMPANIES COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE IMPACTS OF THEIR PACKAGING