IPPO - International Packaging Press Organisation

Sustainability in packaging and consumption cannot regress. While the US may be taking a step back on some commitments, Europe's publication of the PPWR highlights the ongoing push for progress. Which path will you choose from an strategic and technical perspective? As President of WPO World Packaging Organisation, I place over here an invitation to you to join the sustainable path, even though it's a complex topic for a brief LinkedIn post. Follow me: Our societal challenge has escalated: from 2 billion people in the 1900s to over 8 billion today. Our well-being, health, and convenience come at a cost – excessive pressure on the planet through resource use, consumption, and waste generation. Sustainability in modern society, in consumption and packaging, demand a holistic approach engaging all stakeholders. However, even from a purely packaging perspective, it's crucial not to squander the progress we've made. This includes achievements, human and technological capacity building, and investments. Collectively, we have a long way to go to effectively address this agenda and ensure a high quality of life for society: Packaging: More efficient production processes, optimized structures, circularity, reusability, and recyclability. Packaging sustainability technology has made remarkable strides in recent years, enabling the use of recycled materials and the design of Ready-to-Recycle packaging, among others. We've overcome cost, technical, efficiency, and even and super important marketing barriers. With a growing global population, these achievements are invaluable. Let's not regress on that! However, packaging is just one piece of the puzzle. Brands: More efficient product design to minimize waste and optimize products+packaging, and its performance, characteristics, and use. Also crucial, educate consumers on proper disposal to avoid littering and promote recycling and reuse. It's key to redesign products, like this inspiring WorldStar Awards winner: https://lnkd.in/dedqjS8s, Retail: More efficient operation to reduce losses and waste, foster more efficient logistics and e-commerce packaging, and last but not least, support consumer education and efficient drop-off infrastructure Consumers and Society: Engage on a sustainable consumption. Combat littering. We all share responsibility for a "no waste" scenario, and for that proper disposal is crucial for circularity or landfill,. Recycling: More efficient global recycling streams utilizing various technologies, Governments: Implement broader and more efficient waste management programs, including close-loop compostability where suitable. Stakeholders: Support this agenda and advocate for regulations that build a more competitive environment for achieving our shared goals. Again, a very complex topic to put down to words in just some lines. But I hope you got the message! Disclaimer: This text is purely technical in nature and does not involve any political considerations.