Nowadays, sustainability is at the forefront of packaging industry news. There are countless articles and blog posts about how to “go green” in your business and what trends to follow to stay current. However, as we move forward it is becoming less of a suggestion and more of a necessity to improve sustainability efforts.

In today’s industry, sustainable packaging is expected from consumers. With the current and future generations, utilizing recycled material and being active in “green” initiatives can actually determine if a consumer purchases your product. Packaging details and recycling info are becoming more widely known, and labels such as “sustainably sourced” or “recycled material” are important to have visibly displayed on packaging.

In addition, package manufacturing is being designed and improved with attention on the effect of emissions, consumption of water, consumption of energy, and disposal methods. Due to the growing expectation of companies to be conscious of these effects, large corporations like Coca Cola, Amazon, and Target, are beginning to respond.

Target has laid out five sustainability goals that they hope to reach by 2020-2022. These goals are achievable and informative for other businesses who may want to follow in their footsteps in achieving a more sustainable future.

5 Sustainability Goals for Packaging:

  1. Source all paper packaging from sustainably managed forests.
  2. Work to eliminate polystyrene from packaging because of its difficulty to recycle and impact on pollution.
  3. Incorporate GreenBlue’s How2Recyle label onto packaging to educate consumers on proper recycling practices.
  4. Support The Recycling Partnership and other coalitions working to improve recycling programs and get new ones established in other regions of the country.
  5. Create more demand for recycled goods by partnering with organizations that work to innovate recycled packaging and educate consumers and businesses on sustainability practices.

Being active in environmental protective efforts is not only beneficial to the environment but will also strengthen your relationship with consumers. Consumers want to feel their needs are understood and reflected in the businesses they purchase goods and services from. Review the different design options and solutions available to help you achieve your sustainability goals with your packaging manufacturer. Sustainable packaging is not only good for the environment, it is good for your business!