Less energy. Fewer resources. Smaller footprint.

Sustainable Packaging

Sustainability Throughout the Entire Life Cycle

Flexible Packaging's Environmental Efficiency

From its fossil fuel and water usage, to its carbon impact and product-to-package ratio, flexible packaging's efficiency is environmentally effective. As a leading voice in the sustainable packaging movement, the Flexible Packaging Association has committed significant resources to support flexible packaging's sustainability efforts. Through our ongoing research and initiatives, FPA provides a greater understanding of the environmental advantages and benefits of flexible packaging among consumer product companies, retailers and consumers.

Material and Resource Efficiency

The use of life cycle assessment tools has shown that flexible packaging usually results in less fossil fuel usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use than other formats due to its very light weight (source reduction).

Transportation Benefits

Flexible materials are usually shipped either flat or on a roll like paper towels. This allows a large number of packages to be shipped on a truck, reducing the number of trucks needed for inbound materials versus rigid packaging.

High Product-to-Package Ratio

A measure of material efficiency is how much of a product sold to the consumer consists of product and how much of it is packaging by weight. Flexible packaging almost always has a higher product-to-package ratio when compared to other packaging formats.

Product Protection

Flexible packaging offers product protection, keeping products together to reduce spoilage. Additionally, flexible's ability to resist denting or breakage without spilling contents make it attractive for e-commerce shipping.

Source Reduction

Flexible packaging is lightweight, usually weighing much less than other materials and thereby providing source reduction, which is the top component of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Waste Hierarchy.

Less Resources Used in the Manufacture

FPA's Flexible Packaging End-of-Life Management Position

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING HAS NUMEROUS BENEFICIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES

The FPA published its "End-of-Life Position" for flexible packaging. The flexible packaging industry has a great opportunity to educate stakeholders and impact public opinion on the benefits of flexible packaging. Flexible packaging also creates a smaller environmental footprint when compared to alternative packaging types considering all impacts throughout a package’s life cycle. Flexible packaging requires less energy to manufacture and transport, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel usage. It also uses less water in manufacturing and has a high product-to-package ratio.

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Sustainability Life Cycle and Economic Impacts of Flexible Packaging in E-commerce

A New FPA Report

FPA recently published its newest report, Sustainability Life Cycle and Economic Impacts of Flexible Packaging in E-commerce.

FPA partnered with PTIS, LLC to provide a holistic view of the sustainability benefits that flexible packaging offers in e-commerce and to quantify the environmental and economic shipping impacts comparing flexible packaging to other formats across a range of products.

For the report, five different LCA case studies were developed using the EcoImpact-COMPASS® LCA software, which allows for quick life cycle comparisons between different package formats and included a wide range of products including shoes, cereal, peanut butter, laundry detergent, and flat mailers. All primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging, including dunnage from the packages, were used for the assessment. Dunnage is a filler that is used to prevent a product from shifting during shipping, resulting in product damage. Dunnage may be either paper or plastic based, and includes crumpled paper, corrugated inserts, air pillows, and bubble wrap.

Additionally, the product-to-package ratio, as well as the amount of packaging that is landfilled for 1,000 kg of each product, was determined. The amount of packaging landfilled was based on the recycling rates for each material while assuming none of the flexible packages were recycled. However, most flexible packaging used in e-commerce applications, including bubble dunnage or poly mailers, are made of LDPE, which can be recycled with grocery bags and other films as part of the grocery store drop-off program. These materials can qualify for the How2Recycle® store drop-off designation if they go through the certification process.

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A Holistic View of Flexible Packaging's Sustainability

FPA Report and Accompanying Fact Sheet

The FPA published a report on sustainable packaging, A Holistic View of the Role of Flexible Packaging in a Sustainable World. FPA commissioned PTIS, LLC to provide a holistic view on the sustainability benefits that flexible packaging offers; provide foresight into future sustainability implications for flexible packaging; and develop six LCA case studies comparing flexible packaging to other packaging formats across a range of products.

A Holistic View of the Role of Flexible Packaging in a Sustainable World focuses on the segment of the industry that adds significant value to flexible materials, usually by performing multiple processes such as printing, laminating multiple layers, and adding coatings, all of which aid in performance of the material, improve the consumer/user experience, and/or extend the shelf life of the product. It focuses on the U.S. perspective, though global data and context are utilized to provide a broader picture. Additionally, it looks at the current state for flexible packaging, while also providing foresight into potential future implications.

FPA also developed a fact sheet to help summarize the key findings of the report.

GET THE REPORT AND FACT SHEET

Life Cycle Assessment Case Studies

For the A Holistic View of the Role of Flexible Packaging in a Sustainable World report, six different Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) case studies were developed using the EcoImpact-COMPASS® LCA software, which allows for quick life cycle comparisons between different package formats. An LCA is a method for characterizing impacts associated with the sourcing, manufacturing, distributing, using and disposing of a product or product system. The results from the case studies show that flexible packaging has more preferable environmental attributes for carbon impact, fossil fuel usage, water usage, product-to-package ratio, as well as material to landfill, when compared to other package formats.

SEE THE CASE STUDIES

Coffee

Coffee is a popular beverage and packaged in a variety of formats. For this study, the stand-up flexible pouch, steel can and plastic canister package formats were evaluated for their environmental impacts with a cradle to grave boundary.

Motor Oil

Motor oil has traditionally been packaged in rigid HDPE bottles, but recently, there have been examples of motor oil being packaged in flexible stand-up pouches with fitments. For this study, flexible stand-up pouches with fitments and rigid HDPE bottle formats were evaluated for their environmental impacts with a cradle-to-grave boundary.

Baby Food

Baby food packaging has evolved over the past decade from glass jars to plastic thermoformed tubs and flexible stand-up pouches with fitments. In this study, the three most frequently used packaging formats (flexible stand-up pouch with fitment, thermoformed tub, and glass jar) were evaluated.

Laundry Detergent Pod

The use of single-dose pods has become a popular method for packaging laundry detergent, replacing liquid or powdered detergent with pre-measured packets. For this study, the two common packaging formats for pods were evaluated for their holistic environmental impact: a flexible stand-up pouch with a zipper and a rigid PET container.

Cat Litter

Cat litter is a necessity for all cat owners and is a heavy, moisture-sensitive product that requires a strong package with a moisture barrier. Three common packaging formats for cat litter were evaluated for this study: a flexible stand-up bag, a paperboard barrier carton and a rigid plastic pail with handle.

Single Serve Juice Flavored Beverages

Beverages are sold in a wide variety of packaging formats based on their volume, content, usage, and audience, among many other considerations. Beverages are also heavy, requiring a package format that is robust enough to contain the volume without breaking during transport or usage. For this study, the following popular beverage formats were evaluated: a flexible drink pouch and a glass bottle, which many incorrectly assume to be more sustainable.

Communicating the Benefits of Flexible Packaging

Case Studies, Infographics and E-Books

FPA commissions marketing studies to gain further knowledge of flexible packaging's sustainable benefits. To help communicate the FPA study findings, FPA develops case studies, infographics and e-books, which summarize and highlight key take-aways.

One such study is the Perspectives on the Meaning of Sustainability in Flexible Packaging, which builds upon the findings of the 2015 Brand Value Study and the 2016 Transition Advantages Study, as well as the A Holistic View of the Role of Flexible Packaging in a Sustainable World Report, and explores how flexible packaging lends itself to brand owners’ ability to establish a reputation for environmental stewardship.

The case studies, infographics and e-books can be found on the OUTREACH MATERIALS page. The reports these resources are based around can be found on the SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES page.

Sustainable Packaging Resources

FPA has compiled a variety of resources and sources on sustainability in flexible packaging, ranging from infographics and reports to reusable logos and websites.