IKEA, Target, and Nestlé among those launching sustainable packaging initiatives
In recent years, more and more companies have launched sustainability campaigns, guaranteeing changes to their supply chains and manufacturing processes. The trend continues to grow in 2019. Businesses are switching to environmentally friendly materials, replacing non-recyclable with recyclable and reusable materials, and improving the carbon emissions of their factories. As part of EPE USA’s commitment to the environment, we are recognizing some industry leaders who are setting the trend towards a sustainable future.
Sustainable packaging goals
In light of increasing consumer demand, companies trend towards a sustainable future and are publicly declaring their sustainability initiatives. IKEA announced in 2018 that they would start using only biodegradable mushroom-based packaging to protect their products during shipping. They replaced all expanded polystyrene, aka EPS or Styrofoam, packaging with EcoCradle, in a concerted effort to reduce waste and its impact on the environment. Similarly, Target has committed themselves to eradicating expanded polystyrene from their brand packaging by 2022.
Nestlé, a giant in the food and beverage industry, has prioritized sustainability within their packaging process as well. Last year, CEO Mark Schneider reported the goal of replacing their packaging with fully recyclable materials by 2025. Schneider has also emphasized the importance of establishing a circular economy, with a collection process to reuse and recycle their product packaging.
Walking the talk
Major global companies are strategizing and implementing new practices and developments to follow through on their environmental promises to the public. So far in 2019 Nestlé has eliminated plastic straws from production and began using paper packaging for Nesquik products. L’Oreal, another giant in their respective industry, recently invented the Sustainability Product Optimization Tool (SPOT) in order to analyze the ecological footprint of their new products. This has allowed them to assess and improve the sustainability of their cosmetics and their packaging. One example they provide is their Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal cream which uses recycled glass in its jar packaging. L’Oreal, along with environmental consultant Quantis, has also founded the Sustainable Packaging Initiative for Cosmetics (SPICE), whose focus it is to help push the cosmetic industry into utilizing more environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
Sustainable future
Companies trend towards a sustainable future – The trend towards sustainable packaging with these global leaders shows promise for the future of our environment. The combination of consumer sentiment, increasing government regulations, and global industry leaders recognizing their responsibility in protecting the environment has resulted in major changes within the packaging industry. All of these factors work together, as public demand drives government intervention and influences economic incentives.
Additionally, as businesses start to push the envelope with sustainability, other industries are forced to look at their own footprint and setting sustainability goals within their own organization to keep up with this movement. The trend also indicates increasing funding being allocated towards research and development for new sustainable technologies and materials. There is much more to be done, but as more companies turn their attention toward the environment, we will see more innovations emerge that are designed to revolutionize current processes and materials.
Ahead of the curve
It’s exciting for us here at EPE USA, as our vision to save the world, one package at a time picks up steam with every company that takes a step in the same direction. A change this big will take time. With every new opportunity, we will help our customers by leveraging our design expertise and global footprint to design 100% recyclable and reusable packaging solutions. Let our 50 years of experience work for you. We are excited and we welcome other companies to join the trend and improve their ecological footprint with sustainable packaging strategies.
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