After decades of limited industry progress toward more sustainable packaging, is 2025 the milestone year when progress will begin to accelerate? There are reasons to be hopeful.

Key among them is that the broad packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws started rolling out in California, Colorado and Oregon. Companies doing business in those states are now required to look closely at the packaging they use, report that data and pay fees for that packaging. In a short period of time, most companies doing this saw there were things they could do differently.

What the data reveal

First, collecting and reporting data on your packaging typically reveals a few things.

Notably, pulling together packaging data is challenging: It is often in documents that are difficult to pull data from — such as technical specifications — or is not available at all, and require many questions to suppliers to get the information; this is part of the reason for the slow progress. But companies invested in finding the data are working to improve it and the way it is organized.

The data usually also reveal a few surprises. Two common ones are that problematic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are being used despite a company thinking it wasn’t; and that companies don’t have information about responsible sources of raw materials in packaging — namely, recycled content and fiber sources.

Another common finding is that companies realize how much packaging they really use. EPR fees are based on the amount and type of packaging a company uses in the state. Included in EPR are incentives to use packaging that is aligned with aims such as source reduction, reusable and refillable packaging, recyclable packaging, and using recycled content.

Three new Rs of sustainable packaging innovation

With data in hand, companies then develop a plan to improve their packaging. The goal is usually to at least align with EPR aims, optimize fees and incentives; but typically, the data prompt new goals to address any surprises found.

The three Rs in waste management of reduce, reuse, recycle are well-known; but today’s sustainable packaging plans should include a roadmap that applies a new set of three Rs: refine, redesign and reimagine.

The first changes often identified are refinements in packaging design — such as lightweighting, removing excess packaging, and optimizing for recycling — along with addressing issues such as shifting to (and verifying) recycled content and responsibly sourced materials, and improving material health.

Lightweighting is a well-known approach to reducing the environmental impacts of packaging while ensuring no compromises to the product quality or integrity. Reducing the overall weight of packaging can be done on the main package and each component. For example, Amcor and Bulldog reduced flexible tube wall thickness by 16.67 percent to save approximately 8.5 metric tonnes of plastic annually.

Next is to redesign the package, which may cover things such as moving to commonly recyclable materials or switching to plastic alternatives — changes ranging from simple to complex, depending on the functionality needed in the materials. For example, Carmex worked with Colbert Packaging to replace the plastic used in traditional blister-style packages with paperboard.

The most complex design change is an innovation that reimagines the package. These may be substantial changes to the format, material or product — such as moving to reusable/refillable formats, using innovative materials, or changing the product altogether. For example, Dr. Bronner’s refill for its liquid castile soap line comes in a fiber-based carton instead of a plastic bottle.

Another benefit of EPR is harmonization on key aims for sustainable packaging, so suppliers and others are helping innovation. These partnerships are important. When Stonyfield Organic redesigned its yogurt pouches to be lightweighted in polyethylene, it worked closely with its supplier, Cheer Pack, and built relationships with other US packaging providers. Stonyfield also engaged with the Association of Plastic Recyclers about this packaging change to ensure the effort aligned with best practices in design for recycling.

EPR fees are a tangible business rationale for building a more sustainable packaging strategy — for example, other regulations connected to deforestation and climate bolster this approach. Consumers also continue to express preference for sustainable packaging: 90 percent of survey respondents in 2025 said they are more likely to purchase from a brand or retailer with sustainable packaging. Another global consumer 2025 survey revealed recyclability as the most critical sustainability attribute, followed by recycled content. These attributes are aligned with EPR aims, so progress on advancing EPR connects directly to consumer interest.

While strides to date on sustainable packaging have been important, they’ve been limited. EPR has already shown the potential to help us reach the next era, where sustainable packaging is realized.

This article originally appeared in Sustainable Brands on August 29, 2025.