Marketing & Technological Challenges in adopting Sustainable Packaging: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Oriented towards sustainability, this paper presents a systematic literature review on marketing & technological challenges being confronted by organisations while adopting sustainable packaging. Packaging, the ‘silent salesman’ supports & impacts many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) like SDG 2, 12, 14, etc. Driven by mass urbanisation & consumerism, consumption levels of products & therefore packaging, have increased resulting in voluminous packaging waste. Rising concerns about its harmful impacts has prompted shift towards Sustainable Packaging, which implies ‘incorporating the comprehensive objectives of sustainable development to the complete life cycle of packaging, while providing due consideration to Triple Bottom Line approach.’ Sustainable packaging faces multi-pronged challenges like lack of an absolute definition, complex material technologies & plurality of actors involved. Using Stakeholder Theory as framework, this study identifies marketing & technological challenges in adoption of sustainable packaging. Marketing challenges identified are: potential source of competitive disadvantage, lower margins, extra communication efforts, redesign causing potential loss of users, lack of demand etc. Within marketing, consumer related impediments are: lack of information about packaging’s sustainability, green washing, low willingness to pay higher prices & assumed inferior aesthetics. Technological challenges include lack of technical knowledge & skillset, high technological uncertainty, lack of collaboration in value chain, existing lock-in, inadequate recovery infrastructure, limited raw materials & suppliers, risk of quality failure & non-viability due to scale economies. While further studies are required to detail challenges arising from other factors, this conceptual framework facilitates improved focus in resolving marketing & technological challenges & implementing suitable sustainable packaging.