Written by Introduction
Every package—sustainable or not—needs to nail three key functions to be effective:
When considering sustainable packaging, if the design doesn’t meet these goals, it doesn’t matter how sustainable the offering is: it’s missed the point entirely.
Protect
The most sustainable packaging is the one that actually keeps a product intact until it is used. When products get damaged, every ounce of energy, water, and material that went into creating them gets wasted, too.
If you think beyond the package to the entire product system, sometimes a little more packaging may be the more sustainable choice if it prevents product damage.
Inform
The average shopper spends little to no time reading during their shopping trip, yet sustainable packaging and/or products often come loaded with claims, certifications, and instructions.
Make the most of those crucial seconds with a clear communication hierarchy:
- Primary claims with immediate visibility that are easy to understand (e.g., recycled content, product benefits)
- Supporting evidence that doesn’t overwhelm (e.g., certifications, badges)
- Technical data for the truly interested (e.g., percentages, hard data)
- Clear calls to action for disposal (e.g., How2Recycle instructions)
Sell
If a product doesn’t sell, it’s not actually sustainable. A sustainable offering still needs to do the work: stand out, communicate benefits, maintain brand recognition, and justify any premium pricing.
Similar design aesthetics create a dilemma in the sustainability and retail space. A natural color palette of greens and browns looks sustainable when in isolation but disappears on shelf amongst similar products with similar earthtones or colorful conventional competitors.
Triple Threat
The most successful solutions address all three functions simultaneously.
Consider Vital Proteins’ switch to 80% paperboard packaging. This will eliminate 1800 metric tons of plastic waste annually, which is a huge win. But in reality, their users are experiencing some friction: “numerous canisters were crushed on shelf” and “[it’s] impossible to get the lid off without tearing.”
In this case, the material reduction is admirable but looking at the package through the lens of the key functions reveals a different story. When pursuing sustainable initiatives, brands need to ask:
- What protection does the product require?
- What information must be communicated?
- What does it need to sell?
It might mean some products can’t go plastic-free immediately. It might mean using mixed-materials that prevent more product waste. It might mean bold eye-catching colors over “natural” aesthetics.
The Bottom Line
Considering sustainability in products and packaging goes beyond just materials; it’s about balancing priorities and considering the whole system. Packaging needs to protect, inform, and sell or it’s just well-intentioned waste.