Driving Sustainable Innovation In Packaging Manufacturing

October 27, 2025|Exclusive Features, Materials, Sustainable

A sustainability assessment helps manufacturers identify and prioritize sustainability initiatives. Source: AVN Corp.

How to identify and prioritize emissions reductions opportunities

By AVN Corporation’s Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. John P. “Jack” Dever, and Principal Engineer George Phillips

Packaging material manufacturers are facing increasing pressure to improve the sustainability of their products and operations. Around the world, emerging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are defining frameworks for recyclable, compostable and refillable packaging and the associated fees that producers will pay for each type of packaging structure and material. International agreements and policies are also setting emissions reductions goals across various industries. Coupled with corporate sustainability initiatives, the current industry landscape is driving companies to search for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste throughout their supply chains, often focusing heavily on Scope 3 emissions from upstream and downstream sources.

The focus on sustainable packaging has led some companies to pursue alternative packaging materials such as bio-based or biodegradable polymers. But defining and quantifying sustainability can be difficult within today’s complex value chain. While an alternative packaging material could offer lower Scope 3 emissions, it could require more processing and higher energy consumption to manufacture, leading to a net increase due to higher Scope 1 and 2 emissions. As packaging manufacturers work to develop product portfolios that meet their customers’ sustainability and performance requirements, it is essential to evaluate the overall emissions scope across the full life cycle of each material to truly reduce environmental impact.

There are many different paths to creating more sustainable packaging, from redesigning the packaging itself to increasing recovery streams to produce post-consumer recycled materials. Manufacturers need to be able to set sustainability priorities, understanding the entire life cycle options for different packaging materials. Taking a holistic view that encompasses raw materials, process design, final product use, and disposal or recycling will allow manufacturers to identify areas for improvement and better communicate the benefits and results of their efforts to customers.

Packaging material manufacturers have the most control over their own Scope 1 emissions. Reducing Scope 1 emissions involves looking critically at the processes used to produce packaging materials and improving sourcing, processing, energy efficiency and recycling opportunities to produce lower total emissions.

Evaluation Framework

So how can packaging manufacturers choose the most impactful changes to help make their operations more sustainable? A sustainability assessment can help clarify gaps and opportunities to drive the decision-making process. This assessment for packaging material manufacturers goes beyond a traditional material life cycle assessment to account for the realities of raw material sourcing, energy sourcing, product distribution, and waste and recycling infrastructure for end-of-life options. The assessment discussed here does not include considerations of the packaging material user’s property specifications that affect the ultimate product usages. Further analysis could address current and alternative packaging options, such as altering a material’s barrier properties and therefore limiting or expanding potential markets.

A sustainability assessment helps manufacturers identify and prioritize sustainability initiatives. Source: AVN Corp.

Manufacturing Process Considerations

To improve the production process for a packaging material, manufacturers must consider the full spectrum of raw materials, byproducts and waste products generated, as well as the energy needed to produce and treat them. For example, if a bio-based material requires a fermentation process, that produces a biological fermentation broth that requires energy to separate the product from the broth for wastewater treatment or reuse. It is important to look at how energy is being used in order to discover new pathways to more energy-efficient methods and equipment.

All process improvement and sustainability efforts need to start with a material and energy balance analysis for the process. This helps manufacturers track all materials, including carbon, that enter and leave the process as well as the energy used within the process. In assessing the carbon footprint of the process, it is essential to note the form of carbon that is produced. If a process results in emissions of more potent greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), that part of the process could be prioritized for improvement.

These processing complexities reveal how material selection is just one aspect of improving the sustainability of packaging structures. There are multiple approaches for how manufacturers can use this information to reduce their own emissions and better market their products to customers who are looking to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging.

Sustainability Assessments in Practice

With a thorough understanding of the manufacturing process, manufacturers can evaluate the impact of different materials and processes and which option is best suited to their customers’ needs. A sustainability assessment would include factors such as:

Raw material sourcing and usage
Production hazards related to safety and chemical production
Water consumption
Energy requirements
Solid waste production and treatment
Disposal and recovery/recycling options

Manufacturers can then work with customers to identify the sustainability criteria that are most important to them. For example, if the process uses too much energy, manufacturers could explore renewable energy sources, alternative technologies, energy conservation or energy integration methods. If the goal is to decrease water intensity, operations to make the water recyclable within the process could be considered. Manufacturers can also use this data when talking to their material suppliers if the carbon footprint of a certain component is too high, and investigate options for process changes at the supplier’s facility or the use of alternative materials that are more sustainably produced.

While gathering this information and conducting a complete sustainability assessment requires significant time and effort, the investment in process improvement is worth it. In their 2025 Sustainable Packaging Trends Report, Sustainable Packaging Coalition suggests that the most successful packaging companies will be the ones that radically innovate their business models and reexamine their material choices by 2030. [1] Manufacturers that invest in evaluating and optimizing their processes today will be better positioned to meet future regulatory demands, support customer sustainability goals, and remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.

For large manufacturers, cross-functional team collaboration will be crucial to accurately evaluate the results of proposed sustainability measures. For smaller manufacturers or companies with less experience in process methodology, third-party research firms with expertise in process design and development can help evaluate and optimize packaging material production.

Packaging materials will continue to be under intense scrutiny in the coming years, and sustainability will be not only a product differentiator, but also a necessary attribute for regulatory compliance. Packaging manufacturers must be able to articulate the sustainability benefits of their products and the actions they have taken to reduce their emissions. Transparency and data-driven decision-making are critical. As a key player in the packaging value chain, packaging manufacturers that embrace a comprehensive, science-based approach to sustainability will help lead the industry in environmentally responsible innovation.

About the Authors

Dr. John P. “Jack” Dever is executive vice president and chief technology officer at AVN Corporation. Dr. Dever has more than 40 years of experience in chemical engineering, chemical technology programs, and technology commercialization. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

George Phillips is a Principal Engineer at AVN Corporation where he is responsible for pilot plant operation and chemical technology. He has more than 35 years of experience in process design, project execution, R&D, manufacturing, pilot plants and technology licensing. Visit: https://avncorp.com