Table of Content



1. OVERVIEW
1.1. Catalyst
1.2. Summary

2. CONSUMERS AVOID PLASTIC WITH MANUFACTURERS SHIFTING TO PAPER AND BIOPLASTIC
2.1. Sustainability consists of multiple factors
2.2. There are limits to a shift towards paper packaging
2.3. Supply and sustainability issues arise for paper packaging with the expansion of online retail
2.3.1. Online retailers’ secondary packaging needs test paper packaging supply
2.3.2. Product safety against light-weighting
2.3.3. Lower recovery rates from households tighten supply
2.4. The sustainability of paper packaging is only conditional
2.4.1. Paper packaging is more sustainable than other materials only when it is recycled
2.4.2. In many circumstances, paper packaging can be more damaging
2.4.3. The supply of pulp and paper cannot grow indefinitely and sustainably
2.5. A shift to paper packaging is not fit-for-purpose for certain products

3. BIOPLASTICS CANNOT BE VIABLE LARGE SCALE, AND ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE
3.1. Bioplastics production is unstainable at a large-scale, and too expensive
3.2. Bioplastics are conditionally better than plastics, but not more environmentally-sustainable

4. THE FUTURE OF PACKAGING SUSTAINABILITY LIES IN DIFFERENT LEVELS
4.1. There is no such thing as most sustainable packaging material - packaging solutions should be applied ad-hoc
4.2. Investing in existing packaging materials to improve their sustainability
4.3. Thinking out of the single-use packaging box

5. APPENDIX
5.1. Sources
5.2. Further reading

6. ASK THE ANALYST

7. ABOUT MARKETLINE



List of Figures


Figure 1: Plastic-free packaging as an important priority for consumers
Figure 2: NOREXECO Final Settlement Index (NFSI) for Recycled Paper OCC 1.04, September 2015 - January 2021, (EUR/Million tons)
Figure 3: Paper bottle prototypes by Johnnie Walker, Absolut, Carlsberg, and Coca-Cola
Figure 4: Plant-based packaging prototypes by Coca-Cola and Heinz
Figure 5: Global production volume of bioplastics, 2019-2025, (1,000 tonnes)
Figure 6: Global production capacities of bioplastics, 2020


List of Tables