PMMI’s Tom Egan on how sustainability is bolstered by consumer preference and inherent cost savings.
As sustainability issues move to the forefront of the national conversation, we reached out to Tom Egan, vice president, Industry Services, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, to find out what the future might hold for sustainability initiatives in the consumer packaged goods industry, what considerations brands must heed and what resources are available to brands looking to make a difference.
Egan: Sustainability initiatives are here to stay. Consumers have shown a willingness to pay more for products from companies committed to a positive environmental impact (Source). They have also shown a preference for packaging that can help reduce food waste (Source). Consumers have tangible interactions with packaged goods each day. They observe trash build up first-hand, and the idea that packaging material and food waste end up in landfills is troubling to them on an intuitive level.