One aspect of this job that I particularly enjoy is coming across new voices in packaging (new for me if not necessarily new for others).

Saloni Doshi, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at EcoEnclose, is one such voice. EcoEnclose says its mission is to "accelerate our nation's transition to sustainable packaging."

Doshi recently penned an intriguing piece on 2025 Sustainable Packaging Trends that EcoEnclose is anticipating. The four key trends that Doshi points out could serve as something of a framework for our reporting over the course of this year, but they also bring to mind some of Packaging Strategies’ recent reporting.

Key Trend 1:

More Brands Will Make Sustainability-Related Decisions Based On Profitability and Growth Impact

Doshi says this changing tide in corporate sustainability is influenced by a "perfect storm" of factors:

• Administrative changes and a volatile political landscape
• Financial struggles that have affected businesses in recent years
• Failure by many brands to put real plans or meaningful funding in place to make actual progress toward bold eco-commitments that were made in the past

One example of this trend is Coca-Cola’s December 2024 announcement that the company was revising its 2030 sustainability goals, which Packaging Strategies reported on. Doshi says the backlash prompted in some circles by Coca-Cola’s announcement raises an important point: Public opinion and brand image must be considered along with financial factors as businesses reevaluate their sustainability initiatives.

Key Trend 2:

Sustainable Packaging Legislation and Compliance Will Begin Influencing Brand Choices and Investments

"Regardless of how brands decide to move forward with and/or scale back their bold sustainability goals — the reality is that sustainable packaging legislation is here and expected to expand in coming months and years," Doshi notes.

This definitely is the case here where I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Oregon at the start of this year implemented a ban on Styrofoam food containers and packing peanuts. Also, Packaging Strategies wrote about Palouse Fiber Packaging’s wheat-based molded fiber packaging solution ahead of Washington State’s ban on all polystyrene take-out containers, which went into effect in June 2024.

Of course, other states to watch when it comes to comprehensive packaging legislation include California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New York and New Jersey.

Key Trend 3:

Plastic-Free Packaging Strategies Will Evolve, With Brands Taking More Incremental and Nuanced Approaches

"In 2025 and in coming years, we expect the discussion on plastic-free packaging to shift from all-or-nothing to a more nuanced approach. That being said, brands will need to continue rethinking their use of many types of plastics," Doshi said.

Among the several strategies that brands could adopt, Doshi notes that "well-vetted novel materials will provide additional plastic-free alternatives this year."

Packaging Strategies has reported extensively on such options, including seaweed-based packaging, pouches made from sugarcane-derived resin, and recycling-compatible coatings for paper.

Key Trend 4:

Net Zero Commitments May Stall, But Carbon Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts Will Continue

"At one point, Net Zero goals — eliminating or offsetting 100% of carbon emissions — were a staple in many companies’ sustainability commitments," Doshi writes. "Recently, however, headlines are declaring Net Zero a thing of the past as large corporations and banks are quietly dismantling or scaling back their Net Zero commitments or distancing themselves from previous pacts."

While that may be the case, Packaging Strategies has reported recently on companies with Net Zero commitments. Avery Dennison is switching to reusable plastic pallets as part of its goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. And Pregis^® recently announced taking a transformative step toward its 2040 net-zero pledge by matching 100% of the electricity consumed at six facilities with wind power.

Regardless of the directions that sustainable packaging takes in 2025, Packaging Strategies will be eager to report on them.

Brad Addington
Chief Editor, Packaging Strategies
(248) 227-4727
addingtonb@bnpmedia.com