We have all been there: When taking on a project or goal, we often have an idea of what we would like to do but we are not sure where to begin. And sometimes the task is just a vague sense of what we hope to accomplish, without really knowing for sure what the end game looks like. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we may think we know exactly what we want, but our scope may be too narrow due to limited exposure or experience. There may be better options, but we don’t know where to turn to next.
At AWT, we hear this type of thing frequently from customers and potential customers who are looking to achieve more sustainability in their packaging and labeling. Often, the inquiry will go something like this:
Customer: “We need labels that are recyclable.”
AWT: “OK, we have options for that, but are you sure recyclable labels are the way to go for your purposes?”
Customer: “Well I guess I’m not sure. I just know I’ve been tasked with making our labels and packaging more sustainable, and I thought that meant recyclable labels.”
AWT: “Let’s take a look at your current packaging and see if we can make some recommendations. A recyclable label may be a good solution, but maybe we can identify other sustainable options as well.”
Back in the ancient past, when we wanted to drive somewhere we pulled out a well-worn map or atlas that showed us the route to take to get to our destination. Now we have GPS systems in our cars and phones that physically tell us how to get from point A to B, even recommending options that steer clear of construction or heavy traffic.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a “road map” of how go from a general idea of more sustainable packaging to a custom solution that works for your specific needs? Well, such a guide does exist, and the sustainable experts here at AWT put it together.
We know there is some confusion when it comes to sustainability in packaging and labeling. For example, did you know there are significant sustainability gains you can achieve by implementing a material reduction strategy for your packaging? There are some materials or material combinations that impede or completely rule out recycling at end of life. However, you can make some minor changes to the gauge (thickness) of materials or overall size that will translate to sustainable ‘wins’ over the lifecycle of the label and/or package. The guide even includes a sample ‘life cycle assessment’ which provides a sense of the sustainable gains resulting from this kind of modification.
The Sustainability Design Guide presents information about this and other strategies to reach your sustainable goals in a straightforward and easy-to-read format. We invite you to download the guide and see if there are ideas that might apply to your project. We are confident it can help you understand sustainable options for packaging and labels.
Follow this link to get your copy of the AWT Sustainability Design Guide. If the guide provokes thoughts or questions about a specific project you have, please contact one of our experts. We are ready to help.
