As sustainability becomes an increasingly important factor in packaging choices, consumers are playing a growing role in shaping the future of the industry. The demand for environmentally friendly alternatives has never been stronger, with shoppers driving the shift away from plastic and towards renewable, low carbon materials.
This shift is particularly evident in the home and personal care sector, where retailers and global brands are swapping plastic bottles for fibre-based cartons in products ranging from laundry detergent to liquid soap. Now, new lifecycle data is providing the evidence to support what consumer preferences have already signalled.
Landmark study reveals carton advantages
A Landmark Life Cycle Assessment commissioned by Elopak and conducted by sustainability consultancy Anthesis has provided data on the environmental performance of refill packaging options. The study compared Elopak's D-PAK™ cartons with LDPE pouches for laundry detergent in the EU market, revealing substantial advantages for the fibre-based alternative.
The results demonstrate that cartons deliver significantly lower global warming impact compared to plastic pouches, with larger format packs showing even greater benefits. Notably, D-PAK™ cartons maintained their environmental advantage even when LDPE pouches are made with 50% and 100% recycled material.
Resource scarcity impact tells a similar story, with the carton solution substantially outperforming pouches across different pack sizes. Perhaps most significantly for brands looking to address plastic reduction targets, D-PAK™ cartons contain a fraction of the plastic found in LDPE pouches or polypropylene bottles, representing a meaningful step towards reducing plastic dependency.
"This LCA demonstrates that by choosing fibre-based cartons, home and personal care brands can offer shoppers similar sustainability advantages as Elopak customers in the food and beverage sector," said Emilie Olderskog, Senior Director for Sustainability at Elopak. "This gives consumers a more environmentally responsible option right across the supermarket aisles."
Industry and consumer momentum builds
Since relaunching the D-PAK™ carton in 2021, Elopak has partnered with major retailers and brands including Sainsbury's, smol, Omo and Paperdent across applications ranging from laundry detergent and fabric softener to mouthwash and wiper fluid. The packaging can function both as primary packaging and as a refill solution, offering flexibility for different business models.
Consumer research supports this momentum. Recent studies across UK and German markets found that many shoppers would purchase household products like fabric softener, detergent and floor cleaner in carton refills. These figures reflect broader consumer priorities, with the overwhelming majority of respondents considering plastic reduction important when choosing refill options.
Strategic growth driver
The findings arrive as Elopak pursues its 'Repackaging tomorrow' strategy, launched in September 2024, which positions plastic replacement as a core pillar of growth. The company is expanding fibre-based packaging into new markets and product segments, capitalising on regulatory pressure and shifting consumer preferences.
As plastic reduction targets tighten and consumer expectations evolve, the data demonstrates that fibre-based alternatives offer measurable environmental advantages alongside the functional performance brands require. For home and personal care manufacturers evaluating refill strategies, the evidence now extends beyond consumer preference to include quantified lifecycle impacts across multiple environmental indicators.