Flexibles, including sachets, wrappers and pouches, are the fastest-growing type of plastic packaging worldwide. In countries with low formal collection and recycling systems, they are a major source of pollution, making up 80% of the plastic packaging that ends up in oceans. 

The Foundation’s report Paper-Based Flexible Packaging – The role it could play in tackling small-format flexible plastic pollution in markets with high leakage rates – is particularly relevant for countries such as India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. 

Paper-based alternatives have the advantage that they can be more easily designed to be both recyclable and biodegradable. In markets where flexible packaging has a high likelihood of ending up in the environment, this would enable them to be recycled once collection and recycling systems are in place, while reducing persistent plastic pollution in the event they do leak into the environment.

But the report also warns that without careful design and sourcing, paper packaging may offer little or no benefit. Endorsed by organizations across the plastics value chain, it defines six criteria as critical to prevent swapping one issue with another, such as plastic pollution with deforestation.

• Responsibly sourced to avoid contributing to forest degradation.
• Responsibly produced to minimize pressure on climate and water resources.
• Meets technical, economic and consumer needs to be viable in practice.
• Recyclable locally and supported by efforts to scale up collection infrastructure.
• Avoids hazardous chemicals and persistent plastic pollution. 
• Fits within a broader, socially inclusive circular economy strategy

“Flexible plastic packaging pollution is a systemic challenge – with an estimated 20 trillion items expected to enter our oceans over the next 15 years,” said Sander Defruyt, Plastics Strategy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “There’s no silver bullet, therefore adding paper-based alternatives to the mix helpfully expands the toolbox, complementing other priority solutions such as reusable packaging.

“This will require major innovation and action from industry and policymakers to speed up development and scaling, guided by the six critical criteria in this report to ensure we don’t replace one problem with another.”

While acknowledging promising innovations are emerging, the Foundation’s report highlights that paper-based solutions do not yet exist at the scale, cost or performance needed. 

The report calls on businesses and policymakers to accelerate the development of paper-based flexible packaging solutions and establish the safeguards needed to guide their responsible use.

The international circular economy charity highlights paper-based packaging as one part of the solution – prioritizing minimizing reliance on small-format flexible packaging of any material, for example, by scaling reuse models.

Small-format flexible plastic packaging – widely used for everyday items from snacks and shampoo to coffee and milk – is identified as one of three systemic barriers in the Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business. This latest report helps to tackle it by defining the role and guardrails for paper-based alternatives.

"Next-generation paper-based flexible packaging is a key focus for Unilever and an industry-wide priority,” said Pablo Costa, Global Head of Packaging, Digital & Transformation at Unilever. “This report is clear on the important role paper will play and what it will take to scale solutions that are desirable for consumers, better for the environment and viable for businesses.” 

“This report, backed by evidence and stakeholder input, sets the initial canvas on challenges and critical conditions to turn the promise of paper flexibles into a scalable reality,” added Gaurav Goel, Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. “It strongly emphasizes the need to combine judicious material choice and radical material innovation with deep collaboration and data-driven assessment for engineering packaging solutions that protect the product and the planet.”