Olga Kachook, senior manager at GreenBlue, SPC04.29.21
Five questions to ask yourself if you want your packaging to be more sustainable, from Olga Kachook, senior manager at GreenBlue, SPC
1. Is there an opportunity to eliminate packaging?
This might be through reformulation of the product to remove water, or to remove secondary packaging such as overwrap.2. Can you switch to refillable or reusable packaging?
Reusable and refillable packaging is an opportunity to build. Beauty brands can consider offering inserts or refills for products, while retailers might consider offering in-store refill stations.3. What is the footprint of the current material being used?
Before switching to a different material, it's important to understand where and how your fiber, glass, aluminum, or plastic packaging is sourced, and whether it includes any recycled content.Most of the impacts from packaging occur during the sourcing and manufacturing phase, and brands can work to reduce this impact by sourcing recycled or renewable (bio-based) content. Life cycle assessment tools can help brands better understand their footprint.
