We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Reflections on Packaging Transitions: Industry Perspectives from SMEs and Large Companies in Sweden
AI summary Read the abstract
Interviews with 26 Swedish companies revealed that packaging transitions face core tensions between functionality and sustainability, cost and innovation, and individual versus systemic action, with plastic still dominating despite gradual shifts toward paper. The study highlights that legislation and large corporations are key drivers shaping industry-wide adoption of sustainable packaging alternatives that could reduce plastic pollution at source.
Abstract Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Microplastics are now found in oceans, rivers, soils, and even the human body, raising growing concern about their toxicological and ecological effects. A significant proportion of this pollution originates from packaging, which represents one of the largest single uses of plastics globally. As packaging is deeply embedded in everyday production and consumption, it stands as both a major contributor to environmental harm and a critical site for innovation toward circularity. This paper explores how Swedish companies - both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations - perceive, interpret, and operationalise the transition toward sustainable packaging. Drawing on 26 semi-structured interviews with 18 firms across sectors, seven key areas emerge: the continued dominance of plastics and gradual shift to paper; challenges in adopting new materials; the need for consumer education; the impact of new legislation; supervision and certification; and the influence of large companies in shaping industry standards. These themes are examined through the lens of Diffusion of Innovations theory, revealing three underlying tensions-functionality versus sustainability, cost versus innovation, and individual versus systemic agency - that shape adoption trajectories.
More Papers Like This
Unveiling Innovations, Confronting Challenges, and Shaping the Future of Sustainable Packaging Solutions in the Epoch of Environmental Transformation
AI summary Read the abstract
This review analyzes the state of sustainable packaging innovation in the context of growing environmental and regulatory pressure to move away from single-use plastics. The authors examine advances in eco-friendly materials alongside barriers to adoption - including economic constraints and infrastructure gaps - and propose collaborative, policy-driven strategies to align the packaging industry with circular economy goals.
Industry and Consumer Views on Improving Sustainability and Circularity of Materials Intended for Single Use
AI summary Read the abstract
This study surveyed industry stakeholders and consumers in Germany to understand barriers to adopting sustainable and circular packaging materials, finding that price remains the dominant purchase driver. The research identifies how companies can make sustainable packaging more commercially attractive and how clearer end-of-use guidance can improve recycling rates.
Barriers to Mainstream Adoption of Circular Packaging in Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
"This mixed-methods study identified nine key barriers to adopting circular packaging in Indonesia, including inconvenience, higher costs, hygiene concerns, and limited availability, with unique local barriers such as preference for cash payments and poor rural cellular connectivity hindering widespread uptake of reusable packaging solutions."
Barriers to recycling plastics from the perspectives of industry stakeholders: a qualitative study
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a qualitative study with industry stakeholders across the plastic value chain, identifying systemic barriers to plastic recycling — including economic disincentives, infrastructure gaps, and design-for-disposal norms — that consumer-focused research has largely overlooked.
Reducing single use packaging and moving up the waste hierarchy
AI summary Read the abstract
This study uses social practice theory to analyze two New Zealand food retail case studies, showing that moving away from single-use plastic packaging requires not just individual behavior change but coordinated restructuring of materials, business practices, and supply chain relationships toward reuse systems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.