Findings of a recent survey conducted by Aura, a packaging consultancy organization in the UK, provide significant insights into the current state of sustainability efforts among packaging professionals and their overall understanding of current packaging regulations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Survey
The survey, which was conducted at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) Impact 2024 conference in New Orleans, included senior industry leaders from various global brands. The most important findings of the survey for the packaging professionals are the following:
1. Uncertainty About Meeting Sustainability Targets
27 % of packaging professionals were unsure about whether their company is on the right track to meeting its sustainability targets. This marks a 5 % increase from the previous year, indicating a growing uncertainty in the packaging industry.
2. Limited Knowledge of Regulations
79 % of respondents admitted to having limited knowledge or needing help with the current and future packaging regulations. This suggests that the complexity and volume of existing and upcoming legislations are overwhelming for many professionals.
3. Challenges in Data Collection
76 % of organizations reported that they are not effectively collecting or utilizing the necessary data in order to take sustainable packaging decisions. Moreover, 41 % of companies are still relying on manual data collection methods, such as spreadsheets, rather than using dedicated platforms. This lack of efficient data management makes proactive decision-making and optimization of sustainable packaging practices more difficult.
4. Positive Trends in Supply Chain Sustainability
Professionals reporting their supply chains as not sustainable has decreased by 22 % dropping from 83 % in 2023 to 61 % in 2024, indicating the progress made within the year.
5. Change of consumer training channels
41 % of professionals felt that their companies utilized packaging for consumer education, compared to 61 % in 2023. This indicates that the market leading companies use other means to educate consumers on sustainability topics and not packaging.
Conclusion
While the packaging industry does make considerable progress in certain areas, there still remains a significant need for better understanding of regulations and more effective data management, in order to achieve sustainability goals effectively.
If you are uncertain about the regulations governing your packaging, contact out team of experts.
