Packages and closures for packaging

How to get out of the communication impasse?

For years manufacturers of cosmetics have been in the hustle and bustle of information regarding environment protection.
One day they learn that plastic is the ultimate evil, and glass is the remedy for all problems connected with that protection. The next day, however, it turns out that the production and transportation of glass leave a huge carbon and water footprint on the planet, contributing to the ever-increasing greenhouse effect.
The subsequent days and test results bring information that paper is what we should use, as it’s easy to dispose of and recycle, which is why it's put on the market again. Such information is quickly verified, as it’s true that paper can be recycled but only when it’s dry and clean, however its barrier capacity leaves much to be desired, and in order to get it to the highest of the required levels, a coating of varnish, or de facto plastic, must be added. Finally, adding such a layer creates a laminate, which is a non-recyclable material in the paper fraction. The subsequent information which comes about paper points to the devastation of water management during its production, processing and even recycling. Water consumption and wastewater emissions are record high compared to the processing of other materials.
In the flood of optimistic information, fans of paper disregard the fact that it’s produced from trees, and logging adversely affects our entire ecosystem.

Analysis of such information may only lead to choosing a lesser evil…


Finally, however, logical arguments behind using recycled plastic appear!
Namely, that in accordance with the idea of the Circular Economy, properly processed plastic can be used in contact with cosmetics. Everything becomes clear until the publication of information that the use of regranulate in contact with food hasn’t been formally regulated by the EU. There’s no certainty as to what refuse has been processed and in what conditions.
Migration tests should be performed for each ready-made piece of packaging, because there is no certainty as to where the most contaminated element of the regranulate will end up in the packaging
What also begins to work is the imagination: if it takes several minutes to rinse out a shampoo bottle at home, and yet foam still appears... Then how are industrial quantities of such waste washed? Are they really clean? How much water has to be used for it?

Which packaging to use?

At some stage of the business development, a decision had to be taken on the type of packaging for the product manufactured. It’s possible to conduct business, sales and marketing communication disregarding information about the environmental dimension of the packaging.
What to do if we have believed in one of the green theories and built the brand’s DNA based on in?
Lots of companies have to deal with this problem. They have set themselves the task of being an environmentally friendly company. With the best intentions and knowledge at a given moment, for example we decided to use glass packaging for our cosmetics.
We took into account all factors which were being promoted at the time when the decision was taken. Glass being a recyclable material, the fact that Poles are best at distinguishing and separating glass from their household waste, and the fact that even abandoned in a landfill it won’t emit harmful chemicals into the soil.

Brands disseminated such information in their social media, ensuring clients that such a choice was right.

Finally, the moment has come when we should withdraw from it... But how?
No one likes to admit a mistake, especially a big one, which has been fiercely defended for years.
But, if you can hear whispers in the crowd that the king is naked, you should confirm this fact with a raised head and face the situation.

You can use PR crisis management methods. You can also engage specialists.
But the best thing is to tell the truth out loud: that the environment protection is an ever-changing area, constantly being studied and updated. What was considered to be environmentally friendly yesterday, proves to be untrue today.
When creating the brand, we used the knowledge which was up to date at that time, but today we know more and are changing in line with the latest research results. In order to lend credibility to such communication, sources can be cited for the latest publications and clients can be invited to discuss them.

The first step is the decision about a change of the packaging type.
The second one is to gather the information and arguments on why we are resigning from the previous choice for the benefit of the new one.

Before we start changing anything, we must equip ourselves with a complete set of such arguments.
We have to gather information not only on CO2 emissions or devastation of water resources, but also include the fact that the sand for making glass comes from river and sea beds. Such an interference in the natural environment adversely affects the water management of the regions in question, but also the flora and fauna living there.   
We could also have a set of catchy tidbits which will convince disbelievers and show, for example, that in some areas of the United States, glass is turned back to the powder form, and the sand regained from it is dumped back into the places from which it was dug.

Likewise, we should be prepared to matter-of-factly justify our new choice, which also won’t always be as obvious to our clients as it is to us.
We’ll have to defend it!
It’s worth leaving an open door in such communication, indicating that this isn’t our last word. We should say aloud that we follow the most up-to-date information in the field of packaging, waste and its processing. Should our today's choice prove to be wrong in a year, we’ll happily change it.
Noticing such an attitude, clients will see a friendly company in it. First of all, they will see its human and, as the same time, their own fallible nature.
They will see a brand which isn’t afraid to admit it has made a mistake instead of blindly copying it.
Finally, they will notice a genuinely green approach which demonstrates education, gathering up-to-date information, analyzing it and putting it to use.

What is characteristic of our development is the constant change and continuous attempts at making the world better.
It's said that the one who stands still is moving backwards.

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