New Industry Analysis Examines Source Reduction In Packaging A new industry analysis released this month by Amerip- en, the Consumer Brands Association and the Consumer Technology Association, revealed that many brand own- ers and packaging converters believe only 5-10 percent additional source reduction is achievable over the next five years. The findings, compiled by Smithers and based on surveys of dozens of companies, offer a clear-eyed as- sessment of how far material reduction efforts can realisti- cally go, and where the constraints lie. But there are concerns going forward about what’s possible, given overall volume growth and the need to en- sure that packaging remains sufficiently protective. The reality check comes as jurisdictions like California
are calling for a 25 percent reduction in single-use plastic packaging by 2032 as part of its extended producer law, SB 54. The report defines source reduction as the physical reduction of packaging weight for a product with the same usage. That’s different from simply swapping out virgin materials for recycled content, for example. Businesses have already made notable progress, the report asserts, in pursuit of sustainability benefits and low- er material costs. Ameripen, CBA and CTA credited indus- try-led source reduction efforts with decreasing U.S. pack- aging volume by approximately 5 million metric tons from 2019 to 2024, even amid growing packaging demand from e-commerce. The majority of that progress has come from light- weighting, as well as secondary and protective packaging changes, respondents reported. Examples highlighted in the report include Coca-Cola’s
efforts to lightweight its plastic bottle portfo- lio, Amazon’s reduction of corrugated boxes in favor of flexible paper mailers and Unile- ver’s implementation of refillable packaging options. “This report shows that our industry has made great strides in source reduction ef- forts,” said John Hewitt, senior vice presi- dent of packaging and sustainability at the Consumer Brands Association. Challenges Ahead Brands see consumer preference as their largest driver of sustainability efforts, while packaging converters cited policy and regulation. But companies also have con- flicting trade-offs on their radar. Compostable packaging is one example: It can reduce the amount food packaging going to landfills, the report says, but com- postable materials may be thicker than tra- ditional counterparts — which could directly conflict with source reduction. As another example: EPR policies are driving companies to further prioritize pack- aging recyclability. This may not necessarily be to the advantage of source reduction. “Brands may be restricted in their mate- rial choice, which may limit pathways to op- timize source reduction while maintaining recyclability based on today’s infrastructure and market access,” the report states. “At the same time, regulatory require- ments for recycled content are pushing brands to test the limits of packaging in- tegrity. In some cases, increased recycled content may also require the use of more or heavier virgin material to achieve packag- ing integrity. This becomes a direct conflict with source reduction goals, forcing poten- tial trade-offs,” the report explains.
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www.boardconvertingnews.com
December 1, 2025
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