Start caring

2024 has been an eye opening year so far. Two of my projects involve my favourite things of learning from experts and sharing that expertise and experience through written global reports for the packaging industry.

Asking why and so what are crucial in the understanding of anything. We learn through experience and by leaning on those who have gone before telling us what they found around the bend. For me, the topic has been the future of sustainable packaging, a topic that is everywhere at the moment and one that countless articles and opinions and perspectives have been published.

So what?

One of the themes that has emerged in these discussions is that there exists a massive disconnect in the narrative of achieving sustainable packaging. And it goes like this: consumers see turtles wrapped in plastic on the TV, and cry out for change, the manufacturers all declare that they are going to solve this problem, each one outdoing the other ("We will be plastic free in 8 years... 5 years ... 3 years) and there is a surge of activity in sustainable packaging materials reaching the market. Some companies are a little reticent as the costs are enormous to change materials, but blue chip global leaders drive this change forward. We have recyclable materials, or reusable or returnable packaging, and are working on raising the recycled content for packaging... problem solved?!!!

No. The recycling rate is woeful. In the US just over 1/4 of recyclable materials are actually recycled. Of the remaining 3/4 it is overwhelmingly due to human apathy. We as consumers are not putting the material into the right waste stream.

If Rita Mae Brown (not Einstein as is widely misreferenced) wrote "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results". All this effort and resources and intention crashes against this apathy and recedes. Multiple global research and development leaders have stated that they have the technology today to make plastic 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable, but this only works if the consumers put it into the right stream. If I litter, that undoes any possibility of that material being resusable or recyclable. If I throw it into the trash and not recycling there is not chance it will magically be extracted and get into the right system. Currently consumer behaviour suggests we are all waiting for the next person along to take responsibility. We can not blame the manufacturers if our actions are what is causing the mess. They are trying but they are unable to influence the disposal of their packaging, we have to keep our side of the street clean. The current blame culture is misdirected, we need need to consider the 3 fingers pointing back at us not the one that is pointed at them when we demand sustainable packaging.

This is not a simple solve. Changing habits and behaviour will require everyone's participation and willingness. However, it is extraordinary how powerful a change can be made, simply by caring and taking some action. Time and again when asked what they would do to "solve" sustainable packaging and the waste crisis that we are contending with in the world today, the senior executives and thought leaders I discuss this with state "get consumers to care".

This issue has a greater impact than the technology, improvement of materials, pricing or regulatory factors that are continuously examined as being the levers to achieve sustainable packaging. No matter the small victories we may win in driving the cost down, improving the recyclable abilities or reusability of materials and packaging, the war will always be lost unless can close this gap and get people to care more and take accountability.

The good news is that behaviour can change, we just need to remove the obstacles that are stopping our good intentions being acted on as consumers. Some of these, like messaging and accurate labeling are already in effect, whilst others like addressing the lack of confidence in recycling systems might take a little longer, but it is not too late to turn this ship from a collision course.