There is no such thing as sustainable packaging, says Guillermo Dufranc. Rather, it is our actions, not our products, that can make a difference. It is unavoidable. The disappointment comes when they ask me: what is the most sustainable packaging? I’m not disappointed by the question, but I know my answer is going to be a letdown to those asking it.
The disappointing truth is that sustainable packaging does not exist, because packaging alone cannot do anything to be sustainable – but our actions can.
Moreover, packaging cannot be more or less sustainable. Something is or is not sustainable. There are no half-measures. But determining how much something can sustain over time is a variable that can be difficult to predict because it is hypothetical.
Packaging is not more or less sustainable; but rather has a greater or lesser environmental impact. It cannot be claimed that the material of a container determines the degree of wellbeing it produces for the planet and society. That’s an overly simplistic and partial look at reality.
What makes it sustainable are our actions, and that goes far beyond the materials we use. The correct use of language is important, especially to those of us who are interested in disseminating content. But there is something much more important and complex that has to do with what sustainable development really means.
To meet the definition of sustainable packaging, the actions of a company must consider much more than the material of a container; they have to consider the entire lifecycle of the containers, and do so in an ethical way. To this end, the UN has created 17 sustainable development goals.
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” – Greek proverb We assume that once we consume the content, the containers are no longer useful, so we throw them away. Yet, when we see garbage floating in the water or tossed beside public roads, we are horrified. Better not look at it, right? What we do not like, we remove from sight.
From concept to objectives A great variety of nuances and meanings are reflected in sustainability: economic performance, emission reduction, exploitation of natural resources, transport optimisation, commercialisation, end of life, social impact or the preservation of biodiversity.
Sustainable development has to be the link between economy, nature and society, taking into account their different cultural nuances and recognising the importance of ethical behaviour. What makes some packaging sustainable, but not others? It is not about glass, cardboard, metal or plastic, but about the entire system of extraction, production, distribution, use, end of life, the social impact that all that generates and, on top of that, the ethical behaviour involved. I know it seems too much, and clearly, one can feel overwhelmed and believe nothing can be done. But that’s the worst of all thoughts. Sustainability is a path to be taken to make improvements over time; it is a way of understanding the world and a way of proceeding.
“One of the things you have to remember about sustainability is that it will take us all forever to accomplish” Guillermo Dufranc is passionate about changing the world with packaging. He gives talks, training sessions and workshops. He has been invited to be a member of the jury of several packaging design competitions around the world. He is the author of Packaging To Save The Planet, which can be found on Amazon.