The premise for this article demonstrates that the majority of brands are interacting with the sustainable packaging landscape at lower levels of mental energy. Once we can understand how and why brands interact this way, we can access thinking from new or even higher levels. We will use the Four Paradigms Framework to assess and give insights into the sustainable packaging landscape for consumer goods.
Material World Paradigm: Extract Value
Mindset - At this level, brands within consumer packaged goods often enter the market or stay here indefinitely looking for a return on their investment. Common questions from this perspective might be “Where can I find the cheapest conventional or sustainable packaging to meet the needs of my product, branding and bottom line?” or “What type of messaging can I leverage against my competitors if I use sustainable packaging?” such as the uncertified version “Components made from compostable materials.”
Packaging Types - All
Industry Influences - Cheaper labour, material and manufacturing costs when buying overseas, Brand differentiation, Carbon offsets and credits
Entropy Reduction Paradigm: Arrest Disorder
Mindset - If we bump ourselves up a level, companies are looking to become more efficient or do less harm with their packaging. Common questions might be, “Can I down-gauge or down-size our packaging to save costs?” or “How can I reduce the impact my packaging has on the environment?”In some instances, brands are arresting disorder as required by large retailer and grocer guidelines or government through packaging legislation and bylaws.
Packaging Types - shifting from rigid to flexible packaging, reducing components, down-gauging, reducing size of package or headspace, removing mixed plastic layers, removing problematic plastics, less virgin plastics
Industry Influences - Consumers, Government, Large retailers and grocers, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Legislation/bylaws (California SB343 and SB54), Golden Design Rules (Consumer Goods Forum), Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Design for Recyclability Guide, Lifecycle analysis, Material Recovery Facilities (MRF’s), Resin Codes, Municipal and commercial recycling programs, Zero Waste and the Circular Economy, Net Zero Emissions
Human Potential Paradigm: Do Good
Mindset - Moving up, we now see companies going a step further and adopting their own or externally created principles for sustainable packaging design and recovery. They take it upon themselves to do a deep dive into packaging options, or even develop new ones. They go beyond what is required to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. They pay exorbitantly for recycle ready or certified compostable packaging even though there may be no collection system. Some companies go as far as reducing their products shelf life in the name of innovative packaging and “doing the right thing.” Common questions might be, “How can we demonstrate to our customers that our packaging is circular or helping a cause?” or “How can we educate our customers about our industries packaging challenges, decisions and innovations?”
Packaging Types - Recycle ready packaging (mono aka single material type), Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) content, Home or industrial compostable certified packaging, responsibly harvested forests (pulp/paper), Ocean Bound Plastics, Reusable or refillable packaging
Industry Influences - Charities and non-profits (such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Ocean Clean Up, PAC Packaging Consortium), Disposal instructions and imagery ex. Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s (SPC) How2Recycle program, Plastics Pact, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), TUV Ok Compost, In-store refillery or re-useable packaging
Regenerative Paradigm: Evolve Capacity
Mindset - The three preceding paradigms are easily discussed and seen because we all tend to live and have experience with them. They are easily seen because they are often the “things” we perceive as having control over. We therefore have become experts in Extracting Value, Arresting Disorder/Doing Less Harm and Do Good Paradigms.
At the Regenerative Paradigm it’s not about just jotting down who your stakeholders are, or simply deciding on a system you wish to evolve. It requires the desire to operate from a much higher level of energy; while committing to develop the capability to see and function in the world in a new way. This means being open to change and introspection while disrupting old patterns of thinking.
Most of us do not have the experience or context required to discuss what it might mean to work from a Regenerative Paradigm. Nor could we ever attempt answering questions here on behalf of a unique person, organization or location. We can however start to develop the mindset required to get to this level of thinking by simply reflecting on our own lived experience.
Reflection questions: “What did you recognize about your mental energy or the type of work required when you moved up through each paradigm?” What new thought or question has emerged that motivates you to create change? What value might exploring this type of work means for yourself or brand?
Packaging Types - Outcome is not about creating “Regenerative Packaging,” instead zooming out to see the whole system and looking at how you add value
Industry Influences - None, instead requires those determined enough to do the work and find the answers themselves
Continuing the work…
If you are interested in continuing this line of thought, we invite you or members of your company to participate in a free Development Workshop. If you know of any other COGs companies who might be interested, please do pass along this article and invite to them. We will start by building our capability to think from a Regenerative Paradigm.