It’s not easy being green – but it’s worth it

In 1962, US President John F Kennedy famously turned the tide of the space race by saying, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Now, some 60 years later, humanity finds itself needing to capture that pioneering spirit once again – not to catapult us towards unexplored, distant worlds, but to save the one we live on.

And packaging can be the rocket fuel that propels us into a more sustainable future. It’s so often painted as the villain in sustainability narratives, but, through remarkable advances in sustainable materials and designs, packaging has the potential to be the hero of our planet’s future. For that to happen, we need to be able to separate genuine, substantive sustainable choices from paper-thin greenwashing claims.

Language matters when dealing with important issues, and there is no more important issue than the future of our planet.

Packaging must continue to evolve, yes – but the way the industry communicates must evolve, too. It will not always be easy, but consumer preferences and tightening regulations mean it is crucial.