The poll was conducted over a series of webinars with more than 50 senior attendees, across the industry globally, from some of the world’s largest retail and CPG brands.
It also found that only one in seven (14%) believe their business is on track for 100% accuracy in the data they need to manage their packaging sustainability and ensure compliance with regulations like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Even more concerning, more than a quarter (29%) admitted that they are still collecting that data manually, rather than using either a dedicated platform or an existing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform.
Currently, half (50%) of industry leaders said they were in the data gathering part of the process, with the rest either still trying to understand global legislation or still establishing a packaging strategy.
Greg Lawson, managing director at Aura, said: “It is not surprising so few brands consider their sustainable packaging strategy to be achievable – many are still far behind the curve when it comes to collecting the data they need.
“Legislation like EPR demands 100% data accuracy across all components, or brands and retailers will likely face higher fees. Another major source of concern is that so many are leaving it to be done manually, which is simply an impossible task. Businesses need reliable, agile processes in place to collect and manage that data and design their sustainable packaging right first time.”
Respondents were also asked to describe their current level of knowledge when it comes to packaging sustainability regulations. Only one in nine (11%) were confident they knew what had to be done both now and in the future, while the remaining 89% admitted they knew, at best, only part of the picture.
Lawson concludes: “The implementation of EPR in so many regions and territories, each with different rules and with more approaching, highlights the importance of understanding this landscape. It is extremely difficult and complex for organizations that sell their products in multiple territories to navigate.
“The first step must be developing accurate and robust data on every packaging component a business deploys. If you don’t know exactly where you’re starting from, you cannot possibly know what level of charges and fees you might be liable for – let alone the incentives and subsidies to improve.”