What really makes a ‘green’ package.

In response to consumer demand for more eco-friendly packaging, brand owners are increasingly adopting new formats or modifying existing ones. For some, this entails a switch to a new substrate that is recyclable or biodegradable. Others may seek to lightweight packaging to reduce the amount of packaging material used. Regardless of their choice, all manufacturers exploring a change to their packaging format must take certain factors into account to ensure they achieve the expected sustainability benefits.

A package that contains a different kind of material – or just less of it – may not perform in a manufacturer’s existing operations. Without the proper adjustments to packaging machinery, running a new or lighter format can negatively impact sustainability efforts by incurring costly waste. The reality is that almost any change to the package will require changes to the production line. Some adjustments may be simple, such as a tweak to the infeed. Others may require a complete line redesign.

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