How Packaging Professionals Meet Sustainability Goals and Enhance Operations in the Process
- Published: May 12, 2025
By Michael Joseph, Global Product Manager, Industrial Physics
Sustainability has been firmly on the agenda for packaging professionals across the globe for several years now. However, the prioritization of recyclability is still accelerating due to several key influences, including legislative changes and consumer preferences which are impacting retailer demand.
New regulations being introduced at the government level are not unexpected given that progress towards sustainable targets in packaging has been slower than anticipated. Last year, a study found that the U.S. recycles just 45.2 percent1 of aluminum cans, while the U.S. Plastics Pact has released a new roadmap to give signatories five years longer (until 2030) to collectively hit the missed 100 percent reusable, recycled and compostable targets originally set for 2025.
However, the introduction of new targets is not limited to the U.S. In the UK, minimum recycling targets have been set for six materials (paper, glass, aluminum, steel, plastic and wood) with a 73 percent overall recycling rate2 for EPR by 2030. European Parliament, meanwhile, has enforced stricter regulations on the packaging industry — with new Packaging Waste Regulation passed in 2024 that demands a 5 percent decrease in waste by 2030, and 15 percent by 2040.
Specific single-use plastic items will be banned entirely, while Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations are forcing packaging professionals to rethink design and material use.
The consumer market is also demanding more sustainable packaging. Buyers are willing to spend 9.7 percent more?3, on average, for sustainably produced or sourced goods, with many motivated to do so after being directly affected by the disruptive effects of climate change according to an annual survey of more than 20,000 consumers across 31 countries and territories.
Retailers are consequently examining what they can do to appeal to these consumers' buying habits — embracing more eco-conscious packaging and encouraging manufacturers to make production choices with recyclability in mind.
In this feature, we take a closer look at each of these influences in more detail — as well as examining how the shift towards sustainability is forcing packaging professionals to innovate.
Moving Towards a Closed Loop System
To meet new regulations and the preferences of environmentally-conscious customers and retailers, packaging professionals are moving towards closed-loop systems that minimize waste and accelerate the exit from throwaway production.
Consumers will see this approach in the increased use of reusable containers for industries such as food and beverage. This is a move which fits with EPR — a regulation which has abandoned the "shared" obligations system so the whole obligation sits on one type of producer and requires businesses to report the type of waste their packaging will become at end-of-life. At the converter level, packaging is also being made lightweight and multi-functional, meaning it can be repurposed quickly and easily to maximize recyclability.
However, successful closed loop systems will require more support than simply the nature of the packaging. Technological advancements have been on the rise in this area over the past few years, making the approach more widely available to packaging companies. Technological integrations include digital IDs and QR codes embedded in packaging. These can precisely track and collect data, helping recycling facilities efficiently sort and manage materials. Using RFID tags and loT-enabled tracking technology, companies can monitor journeys — allowing them to understand material use and determine the success of recycling rates. This data helps improve resource efficiency and optimize supply chains.
We will continue to see an increase in the adoption of packaging designs and materials that support a closed loop system. However, the shift towards sustainability is also leading packaging professionals to innovate when it comes to their production and testing approach.
Innovation at the Production Line
As packaging professionals respond to the increasing need for sustainable initiatives, production methods will continue to evolve accordingly, too.
In paper production, changes to the production line relied on manual, human intervention to take roll samples for testing, and the results were then distributed to the machine tenders to make the recommended changes. However, advancements in technology mean that measurements can now be made in real-time on the production line for immediate feedback and implementation, eliminating damage or defaults.
More recent innovations in the testing space are even capable of determining fiber properties early in the process, so packaging professionals can accurately predict what the end product is going to look like and make early changes accordingly.
Converters can also take advantage of additional opportunities in smart testing. Research conducted by Industrial Physics in 2024 revealed that 50 percent of packaging professionals agree their company has made positive changes to its testing environment in the last five years. Some of the methods being utilized include ultrasonic testing, X-ray and visual Al inspections to increase sustainability. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are also an effective means to evaluate material integrity —offering valuable insights into the quality and integrity of foil and paper rolls, for instance — without causing damage.
The research highlighted non-destructive testing methods as one of the biggest opportunities among packaging professionals - with 40 precent of those working with paper saying they considered it to offer the most opportunity to their operations. Expert contributors to the report suggested it is unlikely that professionals working with paper can move away from destructive tests completely just yet, but that predictive modelling can support with more of a spot check approach which reduces the level of destruction required.
At the finished product, there is also growing evidence of packaging professionals actively engaging with consumer preferences for sustainable products through the insertion of educational messages embedded on packaging itself. Written instructions and QR codes offer insights into how (and where) to recycle packaging, with some brands even rewarding consumers for returning reusable packaging or choosing eco-friendly alternatives with loyalty programs or discounts.
Customers at Boots — a UK health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance - for example, receive 150 "points" when they recycle 15 empty blister packs and spend £10 (about $12.61 in U.S. dollars). These points can be used towards spending on future purchases.
A Positive Picture
By embracing smart design, sophisticated technologies and incentives to encourage recycling among consumers, the packaging industry will get closer to closing the loop, contributing to a more sustainable, and significantly more efficient system.
Companies will adopt circular economy principles, leveraging the benefits of smart testing and material science to reduce waste and energy usage. In the process, converters can shape packaging that's more sustainable, reusable and recyclable, with real-time data helping them stay efficient, compliant and consumer focused.
The demand for sustainability in packaging has never been higher or more important. However, the tools with which to facilitate these agendas have never been more readily available.
By seeking support on testing methods, packaging professionals can respond to the sustainability drivers while improving and enhancing their operations.
1 www.ball.com/getmedia/eb3620b7-e8af-44af-83cd-fb8606753600/50-STATES_2023-V12.pdf
3 https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2024/pwc-2024-voice-of-consumer-survey.html
About the Author
Michael Joseph is Industrial Physics' Global Product Manager. He has decades of experience in packaging testing and measurement, specializing in permeation analysis across branded product lines (including Systech and OxySense) and extending the durability and lifecycles of packaging and products.
