52
B. de Koeijer et al.
(de Lange et al. 2013; Sheldrick and Rahimifard 2013). For this reason, the dynamics
within those teams are of high value, this determines the extent to which desired
sustainability aspects are expressed in the final product-packaging combination, as
the result of the development process (de Koeijer et al. 2017a).
Most existing efforts regarding packaging sustainability—both in academia and
industry—focus on minimizing the negative environmental impact of packaging
materials, which is a blueprint eco-efficient view on the perceived superfluous nature
of packaging as an isolated entity (de Koeijer et al. 2017b). This ignores the facilitator
perspective of packaging as a subpart of an integrated product-packaging combination. In many cases, this materializes in late-stage optimizations, aiming for the
reduction and elimination of packaging elements from supply chains. In addition,
the adoption of one design strategy or key focus over another may result in trade-offs
between sustainability- and circularity-related aspects, and other indicators, such as
a product’s commercial viability (strategic fit, business case feasibility, and a limitation of commercial risks) and development aspects (timing issues, material use, and
supply chain efficiency) (de Koeijer et al. 2017a), visualized in Fig. 4.1. Strategiclevel corporate packaging sustainability objectives (“desired sustainability”) may
influence the weighting of specific life cycle impacts and thus influence ultimate
operational design strategies [“perceived and achieved sustainability” (de Koeijer
et al. 2017a)]. In general, sustainable product-packaging design calls on designers
to balance factors and optimize them, while keeping in mind that optimizing for one
parameter may shift but not necessarily limit the negative environmental burden of
the product-packaging combination.
4.2.3 Packaging Within Societal Boundaries
The increasing attention towards sustainability- and circularity-related aspects in
product-packaging development can be illustrated with a number of societal trends.
More and more packaging producers apply recycled content into their packaging designs or allow better separability of different packaging materials, and
actively communicate about this. Producers of packed products (brand owners
and co-packers) are also becoming more aware of packaging’s indirect environmental impact: food waste as a result of insufficient packaging. This contrasts the
direct environmental impact of packaging (expressed by the packaging material
contents’ environmental impact) and is therefore a sensitive subject when considering
product-packaging combinations as symbiotic integrated systems.
The behaviour of consumers plays a significant role in this, both by means
of ‘correct’ (designed) use of packaging, and by the general unbalanced view on
packaging as being superfluous or excessive, by focusing on features that become
apparent after purchase (de Koeijer et al. 2017b). The design of packaging influences
consumer behaviour during the process of purchasing a product-packaging combination (Magnier and Crié 2015; Steenis et al. 2017), also when specifying this to
the influence of perceived environmentally sound packaging elements (Rokka and
B. de Koeijer et al.
(de Lange et al. 2013; Sheldrick and Rahimifard 2013). For this reason, the dynamics
within those teams are of high value, this determines the extent to which desired
sustainability aspects are expressed in the final product-packaging combination, as
the result of the development process (de Koeijer et al. 2017a).
Most existing efforts regarding packaging sustainability—both in academia and
industry—focus on minimizing the negative environmental impact of packaging
materials, which is a blueprint eco-efficient view on the perceived superfluous nature
of packaging as an isolated entity (de Koeijer et al. 2017b). This ignores the facilitator
perspective of packaging as a subpart of an integrated product-packaging combination. In many cases, this materializes in late-stage optimizations, aiming for the
reduction and elimination of packaging elements from supply chains. In addition,
the adoption of one design strategy or key focus over another may result in trade-offs
between sustainability- and circularity-related aspects, and other indicators, such as
a product’s commercial viability (strategic fit, business case feasibility, and a limitation of commercial risks) and development aspects (timing issues, material use, and
supply chain efficiency) (de Koeijer et al. 2017a), visualized in Fig. 4.1. Strategiclevel corporate packaging sustainability objectives (“desired sustainability”) may
influence the weighting of specific life cycle impacts and thus influence ultimate
operational design strategies [“perceived and achieved sustainability” (de Koeijer
et al. 2017a)]. In general, sustainable product-packaging design calls on designers
to balance factors and optimize them, while keeping in mind that optimizing for one
parameter may shift but not necessarily limit the negative environmental burden of
the product-packaging combination.
4.2.3 Packaging Within Societal Boundaries
The increasing attention towards sustainability- and circularity-related aspects in
product-packaging development can be illustrated with a number of societal trends.
More and more packaging producers apply recycled content into their packaging designs or allow better separability of different packaging materials, and
actively communicate about this. Producers of packed products (brand owners
and co-packers) are also becoming more aware of packaging’s indirect environmental impact: food waste as a result of insufficient packaging. This contrasts the
direct environmental impact of packaging (expressed by the packaging material
contents’ environmental impact) and is therefore a sensitive subject when considering
product-packaging combinations as symbiotic integrated systems.
The behaviour of consumers plays a significant role in this, both by means
of ‘correct’ (designed) use of packaging, and by the general unbalanced view on
packaging as being superfluous or excessive, by focusing on features that become
apparent after purchase (de Koeijer et al. 2017b). The design of packaging influences
consumer behaviour during the process of purchasing a product-packaging combination (Magnier and Crié 2015; Steenis et al. 2017), also when specifying this to
the influence of perceived environmentally sound packaging elements (Rokka and