The Long & Short of It

Unpacking the Shift to Sustainable Packaging

Published on24 OCT 2019
Topic:
Clean Tech and Renewables

With 15 to 20% of all consumer goods sold via the internet today, the need for packaging to deliver goods quickly and cheaply is increasing as the global focus on sustainability gains momentum.  The paper and packaging industry has responded by starting to move away from single-use plastics into alternative materials, but also by giving more choice to the consumer, explains Kristy Grippi of Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division in this episode of The Long & Short of It. “[In some cases, companies are] allowing consumers to make the decision on whether they would like a cheaper form of packaging that is not as sustainable, or if they’d rather pay a premium for a more recyclable form of packaging that’s more environmentally friendly,” says Grippi. Over the next decade, Grippi expects that, in addition to higher recycled and biodegradable materials, we’ll also see less packaging used overall, “Whatever good you get likely doesn’t come [in] a box within a box protected by other packaging,” she says, “but comes simply within the box itself, delivered with a label right to your door.”

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