Europen, the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment, has published a paper on packaging and sustainability that concludes that packaging should be seen as part of a solution in achieving a resource-efficient society. Members recognized the essential contribution to sustainable production and consumption that packaging makes by helping to reduce product waste while acknowledging that packaging consumes resources along all stages of the supply chain.

In light of the trade off between packaging and product waste, a few weeks ago I posted a question about what constitutes a sustainable wrapping material on a LinkedIn group, The Packaging Technology Forum. My question elaborated on sourcing of material and questioned both carbon creation and water use in creating material.

Responses ranged from condescending to thoughtful, but most seemed to feel that no material on the market today is truly sustainable, even if it is bio-sourced. Several worthwhile answers included

• Environmental value also must deal with what it replaces, and balance the various factors: energy, effect on air and water, disposal, carbon gain/loss (a future issues) etc. Allan Griff
• What looks good to customers isn’t necessarily the best, or even the right thing to do. You need to look carefully at where materials come from, what their effect is on product (protection and shelf life), and what really happens to them at the end of use, not just what you would like to happen. Iain Ferguson
• Use a material that can be recycled and then look for another material which is better. Use something that has a claim to be sustainable rather than discuss the issue and take no step towards sustainability. Actions make material sustainable, not talk. Ian W Cooper
• Printed films and material using inks and adhesives that are made by chemical substances, not easily to replace with bio-solutions…. Be serious and realistic…. There are hybrid solutions but the market doesn’t like to pay its costs. Giulio Ghisolfi
• The real problem in North America is consumer education and commitment. Michael Finnegan

The conclusion is that there is no miracle wrapping material yet, but there are intermediate ones if one is willing to pay for it. Consumer education remains an open issue, since without consumer engagement, contamination of the waste stream is a potential problem.

in the meantime, see my discussion of what Package can do to help with reducing your wrapping resource consumption.