Key question
Which material protects well and has little impact on the environment?
The material determines protection, weight, costs, impact and disposal. Sustainable packaging provides good protection, uses as little material as necessary and can be recycled. You can find material details in the “Materials Science” course.
Learning objective: You can compare the key packaging materials, assess their recyclability, and make a reasoned choice of material for a product.
Less, but fitting.
4.1 / Material families
Every material has its strengths.
These material families are particularly important for packaging:
01
Cardboard & Corrugated Cardboard
Lightweight, easily printable and recyclable; requires a barrier for aroma and grease.
02
Glass
Dense, premium, and easily recyclable, but heavy and fragile.
03
Metal
Tinplate and aluminium protect against light and air and are easily recyclable.
04
Plastic
Lightweight and versatile; easier to recycle as a mono-material than as a composite.
No single material is always the best. Glass is great for recycling, but heavy to ship; a thin plastic bag saves weight, but is often difficult to recycle. What matters is the combination of the product, the journey, and disposal.
The best material depends on the product.
4.2 / Design for recyclability
The cycle begins with the design.
Packaging is recyclable if it can be collected, sorted and processed into new material. Mono-materials, meaning a single type of material, help with this; composite materials made of paper, plastic and aluminium can hardly be separated.
In Switzerland, collection schemes for glass, paper, cardboard, aluminium, tinplate, and PET drinks bottles are well established; for other plastics, facilities vary by region. Design in such a way that customers know which part goes where.
01
Mono-material
A single material instead of a composite that is difficult to separate.
02
Avoid excessive packaging
As much material as necessary, as little as possible.
03
Disposal instructions
Clearly shows customers how to separate and dispose of the parts.
Recyclable means separable and collectable.
4.3 / Justifying the choice of material
Select requirements, then compare.
A good choice of materials starts with the requirements profile: how delicate is the product, how far will it travel, where will it be sold, and what impression should it make? This creates a shortlist to discuss with suppliers and printers.
Life cycle assessments often reveal surprising results: a lightweight material can perform better than a heavier one, despite having a poorer recycling rate. Don't rely on your gut feeling – ask for the data instead.
Ask for data, not gut feeling.
Exercise
Compare material variants
Task: Compare three packaging material solutions for 'Alpenkraut' loose-leaf tea and justify your choice.
STEP 1
Specify five requirements, such as aroma protection and shipping.
STEP 2
Select three material solutions and compare them in the tool.
STEP 3
Research how each solution is disposed of in your local community.
STEP 4
Justify your choice over ‘Alpenkraut’ in three sentences.
Evaluation: Does your reasoning stand up to scrutiny?