Sustainable packaging for businesses: how to make the right choice
Making packaging more sustainable can seem straightforward: use less plastic, switch to recyclable materials and remove anything unnecessary. In reality, effective sustainable packaging involves a much broader set of decisions.
Manufacturers still need packaging that protects products, performs reliably, uses storage and transport space efficiently, and meets changing regulations. A solution that appears sustainable but results in damaged goods, inefficient shipments or materials that cannot be recycled in practice may simply shift the environmental impact elsewhere.
At Tri-Wall, we design packaging to reduce material waste and improve efficiency while maintaining the protection and practicality our customers need. The right approach is not to search for one universally sustainable material, but to consider the complete packaging lifecycle and choose a solution suited to the product, supply chain and end user.
What is sustainable packaging?
Sustainable packaging is designed to reduce environmental impact across its lifecycle, and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) highlights the importance of looking beyond a single stage when considering material sourcing, packaging design, reuse and end-of-life management.
Depending on the application, this could mean using responsibly sourced or recycled materials, reducing unnecessary material or spatial inefficiencies, creating reusable formats, improving recyclability, making transport more efficient or preventing product damage or spillage and the resulting waste.
The aim is not simply to create packaging that looks environmentally responsible, but packaging that performs its purpose while using resources as efficiently as possible.
What is the most sustainable packaging?
There is no single material or format that will always be the most sustainable option – if only it were that easy!
Corrugated packaging may provide a lightweight, recyclable solution for one product. A reusable plastic container may make more sense for another, particularly where it moves repeatedly between known sites. Timber, plywood or a combination of materials may be needed for large, heavy or highly valuable equipment.
The best choice depends on the product’s size, weight, fragility and value, alongside its transport route, handling conditions, return potential and the recycling facilities available at its destination.
That’s why material selection should follow an assessment of the product and supply chain rather than beginning with a predetermined solution. Tri-Wall works across corrugated board, timber, plywood, plastics and other materials, allowing us to design packaging around the application. This allows businesses to find solutions that reduce environmental impact without compromising performance.
How can manufacturers make packaging more sustainable?
The best place to start is often with the packaging you already use. Reviewing existing packs can reveal opportunities to remove excess material, replace difficult-to-recycle components or improve transport and storage efficiency.
Five useful questions to ask are:
- Are we using more material or void fill than the product needs?
- Does the packaging protect the product reliably throughout its journey?
- Could the pack be smaller, lighter or easier to stack?
- Could any elements be reused or returned?
- Is there a realistic route to recycling after use?
Reducing material should never come at the expense of performance. Damaged goods may need to be replaced, repacked and transported again, creating far more waste than a well-designed pack would have used.
What does sustainable packaging design involve?
Sustainable packaging design considers the complete journey, not only the finished package.
The process begins with the product: its dimensions, weight, fragility and sensitivity to moisture, vibration or temperature. Designers then consider how the pack will be assembled, handled, stored, transported, opened and disposed of.
Good design can remove empty space, improve pallet and vehicle utilisation, reduce material use and identify where a returnable solution may work better.
Where required, packaging will be tested to ensure it meets relevant performance, regulatory, or industry standards, including UN transport regulations and Ministry of Defence requirements.
Packaging must offer sufficient protection without becoming unnecessarily heavy or complex. Tri-Wall combines material selection, structural design and testing to balance protection with efficiency, particularly for fragile, hazardous, bulky or heavy products.
Sustainable packaging examples for manufacturing
The right solution will vary according to the product and supply chain.
Bulk materials
For powders, granules, raw materials and agricultural produce, fibre-based bulk packaging can be a very practical option. Octabins can be supplied flat to reduce storage space before use and designed around different loads and handling needs.
Closed-loop supply chains
Where products or components move repeatedly between factories, warehouses and suppliers, returnable packaging may reduce reliance on single-use packs. Tri-Wall’s plastic returnable packs and YoYoBins present a significant opportunity where there’s a practical system for collecting, inspecting and recirculating them.
Large, sensitive or hazardous products
Large or heavy products may require heavy-duty corrugated board, timber, plywood or hybrid packaging. Sensitive or hazardous goods will need specialist containment, testing and certification.
In every case, the aim is to provide the required protection while avoiding unnecessary material, weight and transport space.
Can sustainable packaging reduce costs?
Sustainable packaging is sometimes assumed to cost more, but comparing unit prices alone doesn’t present the complete picture.
A well-designed solution may use less material, allow more products to fit onto a pallet or vehicle, reduce shipment weight, take up less warehouse space and improve packing efficiency. Better protection can also reduce product damage, while returnable packaging may spread its cost across multiple journeys.
There may also be an initial investment in design, tooling or a return system.
So the more useful question might not be: “does this pack cost less?” but “what does this packaging cost us across the entire supply chain?”
How should packaging be recycled after use?
A recyclable material does not automatically result in packaging being recycled.
The pack must be collected, correctly sorted and capable of being reprocessed. Coatings, liners, labels, tapes and fixings can affect recyclability, particularly when they are difficult to separate or contaminate the recycling stream.
The UK’s Recyclability Assessment Methodology considers whether packaging is widely collected, sortable at scale, capable of being reprocessed and free from components that could contaminate the resulting recycled material.
Manufacturers should consider what materials the pack contains, whether they can be separated easily, whether contamination is likely and what collection services are available at the destination.
These questions should be addressed during design, not after the packaging has already entered the supply chain.
How can packaging support a circular supply chain?
A circular supply chain aims to keep materials in productive use for as long as possible rather than following a simple take, make and dispose model.
For packaging, this means first preventing unnecessary material use, then reducing what is required while maintaining performance. Where practical, packs can be reused, returned, repaired or repurposed before their materials are eventually recycled.
A returnable pack may work well on a regular route between two factories but be less suitable for a one-way international shipment. Circularity therefore depends on the wider system, not simply the packaging format.
Packaging suppliers can help by identifying opportunities to right-size packs, simplifying material combinations, introducing reusable formats and improve storage, transport and end-of-life outcomes. At Tri-Wall, we encourage the use of returnable packaging where it can reduce waste, optimise supply chains and support customers’ environmental goals.
How are packaging regulations changing?
Sustainability in packaging is increasingly shaped by legislation as well as voluntary environmental goals.
Under the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, affected producers have responsibilities relating to packaging data, recyclability assessments and waste-management fees.
Businesses supplying packaged products to the EU must also consider the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The regulation is intended to reduce unnecessary packaging, increase reuse and recycled content, and make packaging recyclable by 2030.
You can explore these requirements in more detail in our guide to PPWR.
As requirements evolve, manufacturers should work with packaging partners that monitor regulations and can provide reliable information about materials, designs and recyclability.
What should you look for in a sustainable packaging company?
A sustainable packaging supplier should do more than offer products described as “green” or “eco-friendly”.
Look for a company that can assess the complete supply chain, work across different materials, explain why a solution is appropriate, test its performance and advise on reuse, recycling and changing regulatory requirements. It should also provide evidence behind its environmental claims.
The supplier’s own environmental performance matters too. Tri-Wall has set targets to reduce CO₂ emissions by 46% by 2030 and achieve net zero carbon by 2050. To support these commitments, we operate a UK-wide programme of environmental objectives and measurable targets that drive continual improvement in energy efficiency, waste reduction, resource management and environmental performance across all our operations. We have also committed to zero waste to landfill and report our environmental and social performance through platforms including EcoVadis, CDP and Sedex.
The Tri-Wall difference: closing the loop
At Tri-Wall, sustainability shapes both the packaging we create and the way we operate. It helps us build and influence a more holistic view of sustainability and improving circularity.
By balancing protection with efficiency, we help customers reduce unnecessary material use, minimise waste and make better use of storage and transport space. Because we work across a range of materials and formats, we can recommend the right solution for the product and supply chain rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
One recent example of our wider sustainability work is the installation of a 300kWth biomass boiler at our West Midlands factory. It uses waste wood offcuts and sawdust generated on site to provide space heating, turning a production by-product into a useful energy source. At scale, this kind of innovation can have a big impact. And we think that’s pretty cool.
Want to talk about sustainable packaging options for your business?
Speak to our experts today and we’ll help you make the right decision based on your specific requirements and supply chain.
