A recent report from think tank Forum for the Future reported in BusinessGreen entitled  Sustainable Products To Be Mainstream by 2020 suggests that businesses need to be ahead of consumer demand  by anticipating the need to be good corporate citizens.

“It argues global challenges such as climate change, scarcity of key resources, and rapid population growth ‘make it essential for us to reorient our global economy around sustainable, low-carbon patterns of consumption’.”

The long term cost of unsustainable practices outweighs the cost of consumer ignorance and points out the need to reposition products in anticipation of changing consumer values.

” ‘Smart brands and businesses will make money today by accelerating the transition to a sustainable future,’ said Dr Sally Uren, deputy chief executive of Forum for the Future, which produced the report in conjunction with Sainsbury’s and Unilever.”

At Package Machinery, we get many requests for advice on appropriate films to use with our overwrapping machines. The problem today is that many films are not yet at the point where we can wholeheartedly recommend any one film as the one that is carbon neutral, resource sustainable, clean water respectful and comparably priced to other films currently on the market.

At the risk of suggesting that our customers might want to spend more, picking a more sustainable film offers the chance to to be ahead of the market with some assurance that the consumer will be there with you in short order.

In the interim, here is one way of looking at the cost of various wrapping methods and what options to consider.

Says Sainsbury’s  chief  executive Justin King, ” ‘Being a sustainable company is not about box ticking, it’s about future-proofing your business and building trust and brand loyalty that will last for years to come.’ “