Sustainability opportunities for each packaging format
Find your product’s packaging format in this gallery to better understand its sustainability challenges and opportunities.
![Sustainability opportunities for each packaging format Sustainability opportunities for each packaging format](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/bltafc06db067aebac6/64cbf83cdb0bcc7a8de33eaa/NewHopeNetwork_Horizontal_RGB.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Product examples: beverages, supplements, personal care products. Common materials: PET, HDPE, PP. End-of-life: Recyclable: -PET and HDPE bottles: Widely recycled with strong end markets. Be sure to educate consumers on end-of-life. -PET, HDPE and PP non-bottles: Only recyclable in some municipalities, lacking strong end-markets. Compostable: Some bio-based compostable materials exist. Challenges to consider: -To increase recyclability, use a label material that is compatible with the container material. For example, use a HDPE or PP label for HDPE containers. -Multiple material components in a single format can make sorting and selling recycled material difficult for recyclers. -Make sure to communicate how to recycle your packaging to the consumer. Learn more about the How2Recycle label here. Sustainability opportunities: -Use up to 100% PCR plastic. -Use bio-based plastics. -Some bio-based compostable options are available.
Product examples: snacks, baby food. Common materials: mixes of nylon, PET, PP, PE, metalized PET and/or aluminum foil laminated together. End-of-life: Recyclable: -The majority of flexible films are currently not recyclable. -Few recyclable options exist. If a pouch is made of 100% HDPE or LDPE, it is only recyclable at participating in-store drop-off locations. Compostable: Bio-based compostable flexible film packaging options currently exist for brands. Challenges to consider: -Flexible films are composed of different plastic resins laminated together. This makes it difficult for recyclers to separate the materials and properly sort the packaging. -Additionally, because of their light-weight nature, they cannot be sorted with standard Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) equipment. Sustainability opportunities: -Use a recyclable pouch format made of 100% HDPE or LDPE and educate consumers to recycle these products through in-store drop-off programs. Implement bio-based compostable films.
Product examples: baby food, nut butters. Common materials: mixes of nylon, PET, PP, PE, metalized PET and/or aluminum foil laminated together. Recyclable: -The majority of squeeze pouches are currently not recyclable due to multiple laminate layers and food residue. -New mono-material PP options are coming to market, but they are not recyclable at this time. Challenges to consider: -Squeeze pouches are composed of different plastic resins laminated together. -This makes it difficult for recyclers to separate the materials and properly sort the packaging. -Even if a squeeze pouch is made with a recyclable mono-material, it won’t be properly sorted by a MRF through a curbside collection program. The only way to recycle a material and format such as this would be through participating in-store drop-off programs. Sustainability opportunities: -Implement single-material pouches and educated consumers on end-of-life. -Use a different format made of recyclable material.
Product examples: canned foods, carbonated beverages. Common materials: aluminum or steel with plastic liner. Recyclable: widely recycled. Challenges to consider: Acidic products may cause chemicals from plastic liner to leach into the product. How to ensure it is recyclable: -Avoid non-recyclable full-body sleeves. -Instead, pursue lacquer printing directly on the container. -Avoid any non-metal components such as plastic. -Instead, use only metal materials. Use better materials: These containers can be manufactured with up to 100% PCR.
Product examples: milk, juice, broth. Common materials: -For shelf-stable cartons, paper with polyethylene (PE) and aluminum layers is used. -For refrigerated cartons, typically paper with layer of polyethylene is used. Recycling: recyclable through some curbside collection programs. Challenges to consider: -It is difficult to separate paper from plastic and/or metal materials in recycling process. -Lacking in strong end markets for recyclers. Sustainability opportunities: -Source FSC-certified fiber. -Use Bio-based PE.
Product examples: cereal, personal care products. Common material: paperboard. Recyclable: widely recycled with high collection rates and profitable end-markets for recyclers. Challenges to consider: -Labels must be easy to remove to be recycled. -Using recycle-ready stickers with water soluble adhesive is one solution. Sustainability opportunities: -Use FSC certified responsibly sourced fiber. -Source 100% PCR fiber if the packaging includes an inner bag containing the food product. -The inner bag can be made of recyclable or compostable materials.
Product examples: frozen meals. Common materials: paperboard laminated to plastic layers. Recyclable: not currently recyclable. Challenges to consider: Because the format is made of multiple materials laminated together, they cannot be easily separated and sorted by a recycler. Sustainability opportunities: -Source FSC-certified fiber. -Use PCR fiber. -Use bio-based PE to substitute the plastic layers.
Product examples: beverages, condiments. Common material: container glass. Recyclable: widely recycled. Challenges to consider: -Labels, sleeves and stickers can be difficult for recyclers to remove. -Non-glass components should be easily removable for the consumer in order to maintain the integrity of the recycled glass product for the recycler. Sustainability opportunities: -Use labels that are easy to remove. -Use recycle-ready stickers with a water-soluble adhesive. -Use up to 95% PCR glass (this also supports end-markets for recyclers local to your manufacturing facility, which is needed to support the recycling system).
Product examples: eggs, ready-to-eat meals. Common materials: fiber, sometimes coated with PLA, plastic or other coatings. End of life: -Molded fiber is widely recycled with profitable end markets for recyclers (if recycled without food residue). -Compostable options are available. Challenges to consider: -Avoid PFAS coatings, which are linked to adverse health effects. -Avoid plastic coatings, adhesives, or tape. -Avoid wax treatments or layers, metalized films and foils. -Avoid metal attachments or adhesives. -Avoid metallic and plastic labels. -When designing the package to be compostable, only use fully compostable bioplastic and/or barrier coatings. Sustainability opportunities: -Use FSC-certified responsibly sourced fiber. -Use bio-based compostable materials.
Product examples: eggs, ready-to-eat meals. Common materials: fiber, sometimes coated with PLA, plastic or other coatings. End of life: -Molded fiber is widely recycled with profitable end markets for recyclers (if recycled without food residue). -Compostable options are available. Challenges to consider: -Avoid PFAS coatings, which are linked to adverse health effects. -Avoid plastic coatings, adhesives, or tape. -Avoid wax treatments or layers, metalized films and foils. -Avoid metal attachments or adhesives. -Avoid metallic and plastic labels. -When designing the package to be compostable, only use fully compostable bioplastic and/or barrier coatings. Sustainability opportunities: -Use FSC-certified responsibly sourced fiber. -Use bio-based compostable materials.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to sustainable packaging. The needs of a frozen meal manufacturer will greatly differ from those of a carbonated beverage manufacturer. Different products require different packaging formats, and different packaging formats necessitate different materials.
It is therefore important to be thoughtful when designing a given product’s packaging. For example, if a CPG brand plans to use aluminum cans, it needs to avoid full-body-sleeves or hard-to-remove stickers, as these disrupt the sorting process at materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and effectively make the aluminum cans not recyclable. A better option is lacquer printing, which increases the likelihood of proper sorting and a higher quality aluminum product for the recycler to sell.
Ultimately, Sustainable design suggestions are based on many variables such as packaging material, format, product, risk of chemical leeching, life-cycle assessment considerations and more. As a brand, it is important thoroughly research packaging options and holistically understand the impact of packaging. Start by speaking with a sustainable packaging design consultant or recycler to better understand the challenges and opportunities for your product’s packaging and check out Walmart’s Sustainability Hub’s recycling playbook.
The following gallery presents a high-level look at commonly used materials and formats and provides some general information about recyclability and ways to improve the sustainability of these formats. It is important to note that the following gallery slides do not take Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) measures such as water usage, carbon emissions, etc., into consideration. While LCA is a powerful tool to provide a holistic perspective, the results of an LCA analysis are highly dependent on a company’s location, procurement choices and logistics. Additionally, be sure to read up on the plastic codes, which are referenced in the gallery slides.
Click through this gallery to find your product’s packaging format in order to better understand its sustainability challenges and opportunities.
This gallery was produced in partnership with RCD Packaging as a part of the Sustainable Packaging Toolkit.
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