• Carefully weight functionality, feasibility and impact
• Keep progress on track through strong program management
• Focus on both the structural and cultural side
To reduce its environmental footprint, a Dutch retail player rethought its packaging strategy moving toward circular solutions that minimize material use and boost recyclability, all while maintaining the highest standards for food safety and quality.
Reduce, reuse and recycle primary packaging
To reduce its environmental footprint, a Dutch retail company rethought its packaging strategy for a strategic product category — shifting from a linear model to a circular approach. Together with a multidisciplinary team consisting of retailer stakeholders and supply chain partners, the company set out to evaluate the current packaging footprint.
Product by product, those with the highest environmental impact were reviewed to explore opportunities for reduce, reuse, and recycle. These were not always straightforward discussions: reducing packaging could affect operational efficiency, and changes to packaging materials could influence product quality and shelf life.
Thanks to a structured program approach, clear design principles, and close collaboration between experts from various disciplines, targeted improvements were implemented across the assortment. Each solution was carefully weighed in terms of functionality, feasibility, and impact.
Shift in awareness and the adoption of a new way of working
By formulating a clear strategy with design principles for both existing and new packaging, packaging has now become an integral part of standard product development and purchasing conditions for the retailer and its partners. As a result, significant amounts of packaging material are saved each year, and the necessary packaging is more recyclable.
We’re proud to have contributed to this shift in awareness and the adoption of this new way of working.
Let's change the system
“Through a multidisciplinary approach and a focus on reduce, reuse, and recycle, we successfully reduced packaging waste without sacrificing product safety or quality.”
