Making Your Decision (Which Sustainable Option To Choose)

Welcome back to the Sustainable Packaging Newsletter! So, you now know the most important sustainable packaging terms, you have a better sense of how to define sustainable packaging, and you made it through the epic deep dive on what sustainable packaging options are available.

Now, how do you make your decision on which packaging to choose? How do you deal with the conflicting information you get from various sustainable packaging suppliers about which packaging is the "most" sustainable? How do you make the right decision for YOU? We will get into that in today’s article!

This is Part 4 in our 5 part series on making sustainable packaging the norm! If you enjoy it, please share it with your colleagues!?

Let's begin.

I am a believer in keeping things simple whenever possible. I believe in your move from traditional to sustainable packaging, this type of thinking will be beneficial for you.

The truth is, you are going to get bombarded with many varying opinions on which packaging is the most sustainable and they will not all line up.

Example:

Paper company says: Paper is great and plastic is polluting our oceans and entering into our food stream. We must ban plastics immediately, don’t you care about future generations?

Plastic company says: Paper requires so much water to grow the trees and plastic does not require that. Water is such a precious resource, don’t you care about future generations?

Aluminum company says: What we really need is something infinitely recyclable and reusable. That is the true meaning of sustainability, don’t you care about future generations?

Each of the points is interesting and has merit.

Who do you listen to?

Who do you believe?

Here are some "power questions" you can ask yourself to make sure you are making the best decision possible and are not being pushed into a sustainable packaging option from a packaging company who wants to sell their product! I call them power questions because they can help you make decisions and get off the sidelines.

You cannot blame the packaging company, they are promoting their product and why it’s great. It is their job to sell their product. It is your job to take a step back and be objective, because the packaging company usually is not.

Are there specific performance requirements of my product that must be met by the sustainable packaging?

This is the best place to start, because sustainable packaging first and foremost must perform in an adequate way. Case and point, how would you respond if you purchased a product in a new sustainable packaging, but the product inside was spoiled?

This initial question will eliminate some of the options you are considering.

Once this question is answered, continue to Power Question 2.

Is there any way this sustainable packaging could be considered greenwashing??

Having a difference of opinion on what is the most sustainable option or which environmental problem to focus on is a healthy debate. Choosing an option that is potentially misleading to consumers is a mistake.

There is a very important difference between the two.

Make sure you feel confident you can stand behind the sustainable packaging and defend your decisions, knowing that some people are going to disagree and that is okay.

Let them disagree on your approach to sustainability, not on your integrity.

If you are not concerned with greenwashing, then continue to Power Question 3.

If I do not choose this sustainable packaging option, is the likely result procrastination and inaction?

You have to be honest with yourself about this one.

There is always a hole you can poke in a sustainable option and no option is perfect. Often, you find a hole and then choose inaction as your result.

Don’t let that be you!

Once you have done your analysis and you have had thoughtful discussions internally about which sustainable packaging option will have the greatest impact, make a decision and get in the game!

I hope these questions help you sort through the wide variety of opinions you will receive from sustainable packaging companies. Ultimately, the decision is yours and only you can look at the facts objectively and make the right decision for yourself.

It's also important to remember that every brand is on a journey right now as it relates to sustainable packaging. Nobody has all the answers, even if they pretend to.

What matters is that you are always being thoughtful, taking action, and learning as a result. You will make mistakes and those mistakes will teach you how to win.

If you enjoyed this article, please share with your colleagues. Let’s make sustainable packaging the norm!?Be on the lookout for Part 5 sometime this December!

Thanks everybody.