The Time is Now.
Moving into the Future Together, Sustainably

What is sustainability? What is the solution to more sustainable packaging? Packaging with all sorts of variables like hygiene, food safety, and shelf life…

There’s no simple answer, no one packaging substrate that performs well across all dimensions  – but there steps that brand owners can take toward more sustainable packaging.

This week MBD and Lucid attended the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Conference in Austin, TX. Spanning across 4 days, the conference was packed with learning from professors, chemists, researchers, suppliers, and agencies with the same vision to create a more sustainable future.

As packaging designers, we believe it is OUR responsibility to make a difference for sustainability. We can’t blame others - we all must own our part and do our very best to implement change at every step of the process of bringing products to market.

Sustainability requirements are increasing at every step of the value chain. Concerns about recyclability, circularity, PCR content, and carbon footprint are on the rise. 52% of consumers report being “extremely concerned” about climate change.

And though the concern is there, many consumers (and brand owners) remain very confused about how to make a difference. There’s a gap between what we want and what we do.
With 9,000 MRF (material recovery facilities) in the US and different legislation across states, there’s no question it can be confusing.