With the attention paid towards supply chain management to drive sustainability agendas at businesses, Dave Meyer points out that sustainable packaging is absolutely necessary to drive companies’ finances into the black . . . while doing some green.

As Meyer explains:

Packaging and repackaging is ubiquitous along every step of the chain, from product design, prototyping, procurement production, distribution, consumer end use and post consumer end-of-life management.  And the more parts that are in use in making of a product, and steps along the way to deliver the parts, the greater the packaging (and hence environmental footprint) involved along that chain.

Meyer quotes an Accenture study that proves retailers can reduce their supply chain costs by between 3 and 5 percent.  Manufacturers of items from computers to kitchen gadgets can save money with a discerning look on the role packaging plays throughout their supply chains--a focus of an article of mine that will release soon.

As Meyer highlights, companies are wise to find ways to reduce packaging at so many levels because it is “the key element that consumers can see, touch, and feel.”  While companies have little control over what happens to packaging once it ends up in consumers’ hands, they can influence consumer behavior, reduce the amount of materials that end up in packaging materials, and use materials that at least can are fit for recycling--and assist municipalities with their waste diversion initiatives.

It used to be that companies competed against their peers based on features, quality, and price.  Look for packaging to be a locus for competition as more and more brands tout the sustainability and efficiency of their packaging materials.

Learn more about Dave Meyer, an expert on issues including change management, sustainability, and supply chain management, here.  Follow him on Twitter.