As I walk around a store, I look at the different packages on the shelves from a designer's point of view. I evaluate the material used in the packaging, as well as the size and structure of the packaging in relation to the packaged product.
Renewable and fossil-based materials, recyclable packaging and overpackaged products appear to me in different ways. If I imagine a shelf without fibre-based packaging materials such as paper, paperboard and corrugated packaging, most of the shelf will be empty. What remains is mainly plastic, glass and aluminum packaging.
If you think of products without protective paper or paperboard packaging, a milk carton, for example, looks like a funny white block sloshing around inside a hair-thin plastic. On the cereal shelf, plastic bags are bulging with empty space. Grain products stand neatly cubed on the shelves, and flour in compact boxes stands tightly on the transport pallet. Brands shine by their absence.
Less waste, less wastage
In the vegetable section, I see a corrugated box for bananas with a large opening in the middle between the bottom and the lid. This has saved around 20-30% in packaging material and also helps air to circulate in the stacks of boxes. Bananas are transported all over the world, so even a small saving of material has a significant impact on the climate and the environment.
The same logic applies to all packaging materials. The lighter the packaging, the less material is used and less waste is generated. When we are talking about millions of packages, the impact of lightweighting is significant.
In the sweets section, I take a box of chocolates in my hands. Most of the packaging is paperboard, but it also has aluminum to help the chocolate last longer and a thin plastic layer to make the packaging airtight. However, I find myself wondering if this product was even on my shopping list. I realise that the best packaging is around a product that we really need.
It is important that we pay attention to the sustainability of packaging - the earth's resources are limited. However, we must remember that the role of packaging is to protect the packaged product. If the packaging fails to do this, its footprint is irrelevant, as the environmental impact of waste is significantly greater than that of packaging.