Packaging, depending on its recyclability, will be graded on a scale ranging from A to E where those graded as E will be deemed not recyclable and therefore banned from the market. (this will cover local and imported goods)The sales packaging of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages will meet a 10% reusability target by 2030 and will be raised to 25% for a 2040 target.
These proposals are a sign of the global shift towards sustainability and will likely begin to affect the Australian market more and more as governing bodies across the world continue to implement and require sustainability regulation.
So what can be done to maintain brand experience while combating packaging waste? One option is to follow Bruichladdich’s lead and eliminate unnecessary secondary packaging. They did this initially through having the external tube be an opt-in choice for people purchasing through their website, and have now completely phased out the option all together for their core range, with a future goal to phase out secondary packaging across all products.
Another option is to use shipping and distribution boxes that also serve as external packaging, providing both bottle protection and brand display value without the need for additional boxes. This approach offers a more sustainable solution with the potential to enhance marketing, branding, and user experience.
Reuse is quite a foreign concept in relation to the whisky industry but as seen in the directive above, as we move into the future it is going to become at a minimum, a partial requirement for all packaging.
An example of some of the reusability currently seen in the whisky space is, Glengoyne having won the 2020 Green Packaging Award for the spirits category at The Drinks Business Green Awards for the release of their 25 and 30yo whisky packaging. This consists of a wooden box with removable insert and removable labels and customisable plaques. This is one of the first of its kind in the industry to be designed with reuse in mind, allowing the box to become a de-branded display and storage location for any bottle once the original has been enjoyed.
Can this be expanded into the future? Is it possible for distilleries to refill and reuse old bottles for future releases? What is the process of getting these bottles back from consumers? Can packaging be produced closer to home mitigating transport carbon impact? These are all elements that should be considered in future branding and packaging design for the whisky industry.
Parallel trends can be seen in the specialty coffee industry and many of these European Commission directives are the same for coffee. Much like whisky, the coffee industry has its current trends rooted in the double packaging of products to create a more visually appealing design. This is something that Iand many others find adds visual value from a design perspective, however this is something that will need to change moving forward.
Returnr Returnr is a good example that has been implemented at a small scale in the coffee industry. Its reusable bean storage containers are filled by the roaster and then when emptied or used by the consumer they can be brought back to the roaster to be refilled and reused again and again.
Looking forward, these directives should not be a cause for concern but should represent an opportunity for many industries to have less of a negative environmental impact, while being the catalyst for innovation in both the brand and product space.
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