Abstract

Today, the development of new packages forfast moving consumer goods is a balancing act betweendelivering exactly against the technical and marketing requirements for a particular brand, and minimizing the ensuing ecological and social impacts across the entirevalue chain. On the one hand, the packaging is animportant part of the product that influences the purchasing decisions of many consumers. On the other, inadequate packaging increases the overall material consumption of products and waste after use. By its nature, packaging is very visible and in a world of scarceresources it is something that attracts the attention ofvarious stakeholders. The industry has a responsibility toensure that any negative impact arising from its production or disposal is minimized. To support aneffective industry response, there is a need for commonmetrics and definitions on how companies shouldmeasure the sustainability of their packaging.