Google launches sustainable packaging search - McKinsey gives advice on sustainability claims - Exploring the key drivers of design innovation

Welcome to the latest edition of the Packaging Europe LinkedIn newsletter!?Every week we bring you a summary of the biggest packaging-related stories from the past seven days, so that you can stay informed about the most important developments and trends in the packaging industry.

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Without any further ado, let's get into the stories.

Google launches search for plastic-free single-use packaging

Google has launched an open search for new and novel packaging formats – and your company can apply. Google is inviting companies that produce single-use, plastic free packaging solutions to apply for its ‘Single-use Plastics Challenge’ – through which it hopes to reduce the food service industry’s plastic footprint and implement more sustainable solutions at its own sites.

Successful entrants will be given the opportunity to pitch their solutions to Google and test them at its cafes and MicroKitchens in the US.

Click the link below to read the full story – and to learn how you can apply.

McKinsey on the link between sustainability claims and consumer spending

How much do consumers really care about sustainability claims? McKinsey has teamed up with NielsenIQ on a study to look that looks into this question – and the results are fascinating.

More specifically, the study examines the relationship between ESG-related claims made on product packaging and consumer spending habits in a bid to identify the ways in which companies can balance sustainability-minded progress with commercial success.

Rather than asking questions to gauge consumer sentiment and intentions, McKinsey and NielsenIQ looked at actual spending behaviour.

Based on these results, McKinsey outlines five potential points of consideration for brands attempting to strike a balance between differentiated growth and making advancements in their ESG commitments.

Click the link below to read the full story.

Exploring the key drivers of sustainable design innovation

To mark Earth Day, Pentawards spoke with members of its jury to learn more about the most important trends and innovations in the sustainable design space.

One of the experts, Silke Bochat, Head of Design for Europe Africa-Eurasia at Colgate Palmolive, spoke of her company’s journey towards making toothpaste packaging more sustainable.

Roughly 20 billion toothpaste tubes end up in the world’s landfills each year – due largely to the fact that most of them are multimaterial structures. In recent years, Colgate’s aim had been to create a monomaterial structure made of recyclable HDPE, that is also soft and squeezable.

The breakthrough came when the company discovered how it could layer different grades of HDPE on top of each other, which allowed it to create a tube that was more squeezable.

Click the link below to read the full story.

SüDPACK unveils recyclable mono-PP blister packaging

A new recyclable, monomaterial blister packaging format made entirely from polypropylene has been unveiled by SüDPACK.

According to the company, the solution can be implemented into existing packaging lines with only minor modifications to enable the safe and optimal processing of mono-material solutions.

SüDPACK reports that a life cycle assessment – which has been conducted by Sphera – shows that the solution has a lower carbon, water and energy footprint when compared with conventional alternatives.

Click the link below to read the full story.

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