In today’s changing landscape, consumers are increasingly seeking products — and product packaging — that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Shifting purchasing criteria and mounting environmental concerns are driving innovation, and consumers are becoming increasingly powerful deciders.

Some of the world’s largest retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart, are taking steps to ensure the sustainability of the products they sell. Walmart’s Packaging Scorecard and Packaging Playbook, for instance, set guidelines for packaging sustainability and offer tips on how to achieve them.

Steps to Transform Your Packaging for Sustainability

1. Evaluate

Before embarking on any efforts to increase the sustainability of your packaging — or even considering such efforts — it’s important to take a step back and evaluate your specific needs and goals. Keeping processes as they are may be tempting for short-term ease but will ultimately hold your business back from real innovation and improvement.

• Is every element of your product’s package design functional?

• Are there parts that serve only aesthetic purposes?

Look at the package design as a whole, examine components individually, pinpoint areas for improvement or elimination, and evaluate each proposed change in terms of both cost and added value.

2. Use Less Material

Once you’ve thoroughly examined all possibilities, you can easily and immediately increase packaging sustainability simply by using fewer materials.

When evaluating packaging design, you’ll likely identify components of your packaging that serve no important purpose, or that serve a purpose that can be simply and effectively accomplished in another way. Eliminating these unnecessary design elements will allow for fewer required materials while reducing raw material demand, streamlining shipping, and reducing shipping carbon emissions.

3. Find a Dependable Packaging Expert

The path to innovative, sustainable packaging begins with thorough evaluation of the package, potential design modifications, and prototyping. The process may seem daunting at first, but working with a packaging expert like Plastic Ingenuity will allow for peace of mind and reliable assistance through every step of the transition.

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Tarsus Group, organizer of Labelexpo India, has today confirmed that the upcoming edition of the show will now take place from 16 – 19 November 2021, at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR.

Lisa Milburn, managing director of Labelexpo Global Series, said:

“The health and safety of exhibitors, visitors and staff remains our top priority and we have been monitoring the ongoing impact of coronavirus/COVID-19 in India over the last few months. Postponing Labelexpo India by a year means that we will be able to run the safest and highest quality event the industry expects from us.

“In taking this decision we considered our wider show portfolio and acted on the advice of our local partners, the venue, the health authorities, and exhibitors. We are grateful to them all for their continued support and look forward to working with them on the 2021 edition of the show. Crucially, this event – as is the case with our other Labelexpo shows around the world – will play a vital role in driving the economic recovery of the region’s label and package printing industry, plus its supply chain, post coronavirus/COVID-19.”

Kuldip Goel, president of the Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI), echoed this: “From a converter perspective, I, as well as the industry, are very much looking forward to Labelexpo India 2021, which will be an extremely important catalyst in the industry’s recovery post coronavirus/COVID-19. We are delighted to lend our support to this much-needed event and urge the industry at all levels to get involved – suppliers, manufacturers and converters.”

For any exhibitor or show related questions, please contact event director, Pradeep Saroha psaroha@labelexpo.com.

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