The packaging industry is undergoing a major transformation driven by sustainability efforts and new regulations, but this change has sparked confusion. Experts at the SPC Advance event in Chicago highlighted concerns around “greenwashing,” where companies exaggerate their environmental claims, and “greenhushing,” where businesses avoid discussing sustainability to prevent accusations of misleading practices. Both issues, according to Suzanne Shelton of Shelton Group, erode consumer trust.
Additionally, companies are bombarding consumers with a variety of sustainability claims on packaging, making it hard to discern what is genuinely eco-friendly. At the Packaging Recycling Summit, Kasra Eskandari from NielsenIQ pointed out that the abundance of claims is overwhelming, leaving consumers confused about the true meaning of “sustainability.”
Despite packaging having a relatively small impact on a company’s carbon footprint, consumers remain focused on it as a key measure of environmental responsibility. Confusion around recycling is also growing, with varied definitions of what “recyclable” means and declining consumer trust in the system.
To reverse this trend, experts urged the industry to adopt clearer messaging and rebuild faith in recycling efforts.
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