SEPAWA Congress

Our session

Shifting from Climate-focused Packaging Strategies to a Nature & Circularity-centric Approach

Friday, October 17, 11:15 – 11:30, Room 12+13

This session explores the evolving priorities in sustainable packaging as companies across all sectors need to shift from climate-focused strategies to holistic approaches. These approaches emphasize nature and circularity in response to emerging regulations as well as the concept of operating within the planetary boundaries. In this session, we will explore how businesses are moving beyond carbon footprint reduction to address plastic pollution, biodiversity, and closed-loop models that prioritize material reuse and prevent detrimental trade-offs at the expense of carbon performance. Attendees will gain insights into what current opportunities exist for companies to align their packaging innovations from the design process with broader environmental goals, to optimizing end-of-life circularity through integration of circular design principles.

Key takeaways:

The audience will leave the session understanding the significant connection between nature on packaging, which goes beyond climate goals.
The audience will gain insights into what is at stake and why action is so critical based on issues such as supply chain shortages, rate of plastic pollution, upcoming regulations (EPR, Global Plastics Treaty, PPWR.)
We will share tangible opportunities and solutions including governance structures, innovations in tools, suppliers & materials, stakeholder/consumer engagement, supplier management (preferred suppliers, improvement journey…) and more.