This year’s Earth Day's focus is on ‘Planet vs Plastics’, and with approximately 36% of all plastics produced being used in packaging (according to the UN), we hear from two of our Sustainable Design Jury members to get their perspectives on the industry's role in heading towards a planet with less plastic.

Suzy Shelley, Sustainability and Materials Lead, Pearlfisher

Research shows that 80% of a product's environmental impact is influenced at the design stage. As designers, we have a crucial role to play in shaping the world around us and the power we have to affect change, especially if design has the force of sustainability and regenerative thinking behind it.

Of course, reducing our reliance on plastics isn’t easy. Plastics are ubiquitous in the packaging industry, and for some products, it isn't always as simple as a change in material. This is especially true for products that need a high protective barrier.

There have been some groundbreaking plastic-free material innovations in recent years, including algae and other bio-barriers and coatings. But to bring these innovations into real-world applications and be less reliant on plastic, we need to work collaboratively with brands, suppliers and innovators, considering materials as early as possible in the design process, alongside product format, formula, and packaging.

Our role as designers is to lead the way in encouraging this mindset and behavioural change amongst clients and consumers alike. When we address each new creative brief with sustainability in mind from the outset, we can create viable, desirable and sustainable products and packaging. A joined-up approach that leverages the power of design can lead to revolutionary solutions that not only eliminate plastic but offer a better consumer experience and encourage behaviour change.

Take a look at Pearlfisher's Sustainable Packaging Design Trends for 2024 here .

Robert Taylor, Director of Sustainability, UPM Raflatac (sponsors of the Sustainable Design category)

Packaging is everywhere and society is pushing more and more towards a low carbon circular economy. Packaging designers have a critical role in creating more sustainable packaging that uses less natural resources, lowers environmental footprint, enhances recyclability or reuse and switches from fossils to renewable or recycled content.

Plastic packaging volumes are forecast to increase in the coming years and as its light, durable and safe for some end uses, its not so easy to move away from. But designers can still have a huge impact. In line with the aims of the Ellen MacArthur global plastic pact commitment, applying a multi-spectrum approach to REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE and switch to RENEWABLES where possible, ensures that packing will become more sustainable in future.

Fossil based plastics have pretty much zero traceability back to the oil well of origin and there is little transparency to environmental and social risk in the supply chain. Contrast that to wood based plastics from sustainably managed forests that have full traceability back to the logging site. Its time to go beyond fossils!

UPM Raflatac aims to be the first label producer to go beyond fossils. Innovations such as Forest Film replaces fossil plastic with a 100% renewable alternative from sustainably manage forests. Its fully recyclable and ISCC certified. The Ocean Action label is also a unique alternative to fossil plastics as it uses raw material recycled from plastic waste collected from shorelines zones within 50km of rivers and seas in South East Asia.

Finnish beauty brand LUMENE was the first to launch a biobased packaging application with both the jar and label made with UPM’s innovative wood-based material, further processed by SABIC. Read more here .

The Sustainable Design Jury

Our Sustainable Design category, sponsored by UPM Raflatac, aims to recognise packs that push the boundaries of sustainable packaging design. The Platinum winner of the category in 2023 was Ecoalf is a Spanish sustainable fashion brand that uses fabrics made from plastic waste dumped in the sea as raw materials.

The line consists of multifunctional and multi-benefit solid or powdered products with environmentally friendly ingredients and processes. By removing the need for water, this eliminated the need for plastic bottles and more sustainable packaging, as well as a reduction in weight and CO2 emissions during transport.

Ecoalf by Lavernia & Cienfuegos - Sustainable Design Platinum winner 2023. Find out more about Lavernia & Cienfuegos here.

Packs featured in banner image: RE:INCARNATED SPIRITS by Ruska Martín Associates, Ecoalf by Lavernia & Cienfuegos and OCEANIQ by 2Yolk

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