Has sustainability taken a backseat as concerns about COVID-19 continue to dominate? News cycles have shifted. Coverage of and concerns about the negative impacts that plastic and other non-sustainable items have on the environment seems to have declined a bit. People have turned to single use items in droves—disinfecting wipes, paper masks, plastic grocery bags—things that don’t have more than one “touch point” to avoid possible virus transfer. 

Regardless of where companies currently stand on the sustainability spectrum, there is always room for growth — and certainly the demand to support it. As consumer awareness of sustainable brand practices grows, there are some considerations that companies must make to catch up or stay ahead of the curve.

Sustainability is not a new issue. From a packaging perspective, there has long been a drive to design and introduce materials and structures that are kinder to our planet. What has felt different over the last 12 months is the urgency with which the subject is being discussed, due in part to what we might call the “Attenborough” effect.