Few Pointers on Sustainable Packaging

The concept of modern-day packaging has boomed with the advent of the large consumer purchasing power, multiple brands with diverse competing SKUs in retail shelves and FMCG manufacturing companies besides advertising collaterals. While purpose of packaging is primarily functional that of protection, storage and for shipment, its commercial need in the context of design to attract, shelf throw and pick up to convert the product to sale is its predominant attribute practised by commerce.

The issue is Systemic in nature involving multiple stakeholders primarily business houses including the end consumer responsible to solve and resolve the design, generation and disposal of non-degradable packaging materials and its management. A wicked problem.

The approach conceptually and strategically may be to:

·       Identify the bulk of products which generate waste along with institutional of both public and private consumption and apply the 3Es principle (educate, engineer, enforce)

·       Create by design centric businesses which produce bio degradable packaging systems and solutions housed in MSMEs and which have the economies of scale to replace the existing solutions using natural materials, innovative additives and processes

·       Promote sustainability indices in packaging and incentivise the manufacturers and most importantly the marketeers.

·       Create a value proposition for sustainable packaging which becomes the next game changer amongst brands in retail both above and below the line advertising and marketing

·       Design and develop well-engineered solutions for packaging life cycle management both at enterprise and end consumer level which start-up’s can take up as business opportunities across urban and upcountry markets.

·       Innovations in brick and mortar retail formats and design models which minimise packaged products creating new buying behaviour among consumers.

 

Ravishankar Aug 2022 Notes