Packaging and waste management projects do not always begin with the impulse to improve sustainability. What the APC demonstrates in its new resource, The Business Case for Packaging Sustainability is that there are benefits in considering environmental and social sustainability. And it shows you how to gain them.
Eleven case studies were chosen from companies, each of whom has signed its commitment to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer packaging, to show that packaging projects can often achieve positive sustainability outcomes while delivering financial and other benefits to the business. Those companies are:
- Bundaberg Brewed Drinks
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- D&D Technologies
- Kathmandu
- Kimberley-Clark Australia
- Kellogg Australia
- Metcash
- Nestle Australia
- Nutrimetics
- OfficeMax
- Super Retail Group
These case studies also show that improvements in packaging design can deliver multiple business benefits, some of which were unforeseen – including cost reductions, increased sales, reduced product loss or damage, market recognition and improved supply chain relationships.
The projects were initiated for a range of reasons and those are outlined for each project in the report. The five primary business drivers were:
- Imperatives to reduce packaging costs
- New customer requirements or consumer expectations
- Staff suggestions and proposals
- Corporate sustainability policies, targets and commitments
- Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) commitments
If you share any of these motivations, The Business Case for Packaging Sustainability may answer many of the questions you have been asking yourself.
