Sustainability is a topic that is becoming increasingly important and will accompany us over the next decades. While our society is trying to find the way to sustainable production of goods, we can already observe important changes in numerous segments.

At the same time, however, consumers are faced with a problem: How can we tell whether packaging, for example, is sustainably designed? This information cannot be detected with the naked eye, so innovative solutions are needed. Now you can find out how this can look in practice.

Sustainability: How important is it today?

Consumers and companies alike are no longer just interested in the cheapest product. Other factors now influence customers and businesses - and sustainability is at the top of that list. According to a study by LBBW Research, sustainability is an issue that benefits both sides:

• For about 50% of consumers it is important to buy goods from sustainable production.
• Companies increase their margins - by an average of 6%, which creates a competitive advantage.
• By focusing on more efficient use of energy or switching to renewable energy sources in general, companies with a sustainability focus further reduce their costs.
  
  

Why companies need to become sustainable

The advantages in terms of (brand) image are also not insignificant. Companies that act sustainably are in a much better position, especially among the younger part of the population.

In other words, companies that remain traditional and do not develop a strategy for more sustainability will very soon look very bad. To be a company in a few years that has not implemented any sustainability strategy at all seems difficult. Ergo, sustainability is important - and companies will face the problem of how to illustrate this to consumers.

Half of consumers already buy sustainably. Companies gain competitive advantages. Both sides will not want to do without sustainable packaging in the future!

Sustainable packaging and its importance

Consumers always look at the packaging first when they see products in stores. It is the first point of contact between the customer and the item to be purchased.

If sustainability plays a key role in the purchase decision, it should be immediately apparent - even on the packaging. Sustainability that is only demonstrated in the product on a small label is clearly neglected.

To realize this goal, let's now look at some options. Innovative companies are developing better and better ways to visualize sustainability.

The material

Around 73% of the global population see plastic waste as a problem. In Germany, the figure is 65%. Our fellow citizens are following up this awareness of the problem with action - for example, 75% of people do not buy plastic bags, preferring sustainable variants - made of paper, for example.

When it comes to materials, there are numerous options that easily outperform plastic. For example, come into question:

• Paper, cardboard and carton all consist, in
  
  one form or another, made of wood. This is easily recycled and is a natural product.
• Hemp is a suitable material for certain types of packaging. It insulates very well, which is perfect for thermally sensitive products. The ecological balance is already exemplary during cultivation.
• Edible packaging, as the name suggests, can be easily digested and is thus usually readily degradable even without being eaten.
• Bamboo, like hemp, is a raw material that grows quickly and does not demand much from the environment. Bamboo is also very stable, which opens the way to robust packaging for high-value items.

And this list could certainly be continued. You therefore have a very wide range of possible options when it comes to materials. These are vastly superior to the various plastic materials when it comes to sustainability.

Certain products may have depended on airtight packaging, and in these cases plastic packaging may - still - be unbeatable. However, the amount of products that can be packed with sustainable packaging is continuously increasing.

The color

In terms of color and design, graphic designers have many methods at their disposal to ensure that packaging immediately and unmistakably signals sustainability. What you may notice on closer inspection of the designs and colors is often a reduction to the essentials. Bright colors are less common in designs that emphasize sustainability.

Instead, many companies package products in natural tones: earth and brown tones, beige, green, light blue, often using many pastel shades.

That's partly because sustainable designs have a little less wiggle room. Using inks or imprints that require potentially environmentally harmful chemical processes is out of the question. The whole concept of sustainability would be turned on its head if the packaging itself is not sustainable.

Therefore, you will often notice somewhat reduced, restrained designs and colors in free trade when it comes to sustainable packaging. From a marketing perspective, this doesn't have to be a disadvantage, as many consumers today pay attention to precisely these designs.

Color, design, material, language: When designing sustainable packaging, it is important that all the gears mesh and create a harmonious whole!

Information on sustainability - please on the packaging!

Would you like to buy a product and only find out at home when you unpack it whether it is sustainable goods or not? Of course not. Modern companies therefore print this important information directly on the packaging.

The easiest way to do this is with seals, which we will discuss separately in a moment. But even without such a seal, you will find further important information on many sustainable packages:

• What material is the packaging made of?
• Can the packaging be recycled?
• Where was the packaging manufactured? In Germany - or does it first have to travel halfway around the world and cause CO2 emissions in the process?
• Were the emissions caused during production perhaps offset elsewhere?

Young companies in particular use this opportunity to note down further information about the manufacture of the product. For example, you could find out who produced the contents of the packaging - for cosmetic products, for example.

No sustainability is not an option

In view of the increasing sustainability awareness among the population, companies will soon no longer be able to afford to do without this information. When consumers are confronted with two

products - one with sustainability information and one without - in most cases they will choose the obviously sustainable product.

If you as a company choose the sustainable option, you will have a clear competitive advantage. Over time, as price becomes less important as a decision criterion, this advantage will become even stronger. Therefore, you should start early to consider sustainability in packaging design.

Seal for sustainability on the packaging

Another option to visualize sustainability is not directly related to the packaging, but to its content. From the retail sector, you know these seals from organizations such as Demeter or the Fairtrade label:

• The Fairtrade seal guarantees that no genetic engineering is used. In addition, all employees receive certain minimum wages, which drastically reduces the risk of exploitation. Ingredients must be fairly produced and traded.
• Demeter from Germany mainly concerns agriculture and its sustainable implementation. The Demeter seal stands, for example, for biodiversity, biodynamics, renunciation of pesticides, good keeping conditions for animals, the use of organic feed and much more. Random checks ensure that farms with this seal have earned it in the long term. There are numerous other seals, such as that of the Rainforest Alliance, the EU Quality Seal, Bioland and more. When it comes to packaging design, these seals have the advantage that they clarify information at a glance - without having to read several text modules.
  
  

Conclusion: Sustainability begins with packaging

Sustainable products are essential these days - but even the packaging can be designed sustainably while conveying important information about the contents. Modern production processes allow for highly robust packaging made from materials such as hemp or bamboo.

Visual design options also allow sustainability to be made obvious at the point of purchase. In the near future, you will also discover less and less packaging that is not sustainable. The competitive advantage for companies is so great that they will have to switch sooner or later in order not to lose out.

FAQ

1. What distinguishes traditional from sustainable packaging?

   Sustainable packaging is made from materials such as cardboard, wood, bamboo or hemp. Their production has a low environmental impact and you can easily dispose of them - and in some cases even eat them.

2. How can I recognize sustainable packaging?

   Material and design usually go hand in hand. If in doubt, take a closer look at the packaging. Companies are usually proud of sustainable production and print this information clearly visible on the packaging.