Leading with Sustainability: A Sales Manager's Guide to Green Packaging

Packaging plays a significant role in shaping a company's brand identity and attracting customers. One of the most popular topics is eco-friendly packaging.?

Industry Babble:?Eco-friendly Packaging

Consumers are increasingly conscious of sustainability. By using recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable materials, as well as minimizing excessive packaging, you can align your brand with environmental values and appeal to environmentally-minded customers.?

3 Opportunities for Sales Managers of Packaging Resellers?

1. Get to know this market inside and out, especially if you are North American based.?The packaging industry is full of opportunities to capitalize on misinformation, untruths, and plain lies about the best options for various products and industries. While many are unsure about what works or doesn't, effective strategies exist. Find the experts and partner with them to Lead instead of Following!?
2. Sales Managers, teach your Reps how to penetrate an account past the clerk or gatekeeper at a company.? With topics such as environmentally sensitive packaging, do NOT attempt to sell the gatekeeper unless of course it is to get to The Decision Maker.?Companies are hiring Sustainability Managers…but I can guarantee you, they don’t know much about what is available, or what the truth is.?If YOU and YOUR salespeople do, you can win at this level, and again Lead, not Follow.?
3. Lead with the truth…in the US, we have a littering problem.?Almost 90% of litter in the US is intentional.?We can have the most sophisticated packaging in the world but if John Doe Consumer is going to just litter it (street corner, side of the road, park, etc) nothing is going to change.? Further, studies have shown that “if” someone believes the packaging is “biodegradable” chances are they’ll litter more, not less (as litterers assume it will just “disappear”).? So, with this being said, before we do anything, packaging needs to make it to a trash/recycling receptacle.? The industry knows the cheapest and most effective way to do this isn’t with fancy (and expensive) packaging materials…it’s with packaging that can actually be recycled and re-purposed to be used again and again.? Even better, not partially recyclable, but 100% recyclable!? Packaging salespeople do not know this material and technology exists!? As their Sales Manager…teach them, show them!?

As consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability, the choice of recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable materials, coupled with minimalistic packaging design, holds the key to aligning your brand with environmental values and resonating with environmentally-conscious customers. As Sales Managers, it's your responsibility to educate and advocate for these sustainable materials and technologies, steering the industry toward a brighter, more eco-conscious future.

"Global Packaging Insider" newsletter, your go-to resource for packaging resellers and their managers, created by?David Marinac. Subscribe now and stay ahead in the packaging industry!??

Follow David on LinkedIn: www.dhirubhai.net/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=davidmarinac