Demystifying the ecodesign approach | Éco Entreprises Québec

1) The functions of the packaging

Technical functions

To preserve, protect, and contain a product

Form a barrier against moisture, light, gases, germs, and bacteria.
Reduce the risk of product breakage, theft, and tampering.
Reduce the risk of spills, leaks, and fumes that could impact human health or the environment.

Logistics functions

To facilitate handling, transport, and storage

Ensure the proper management of the packaged product across the supply chain, from the time it is manufactured until it reaches the consumer

Communication and user experience functions

To inform, sell, and market

Facilitate handling and maximize access to the product: adapted formats, simple and efficient opening/closing mechanisms, etc.
Convey product information: mandatory declarations, characteristics, instructions for use, brand awareness and positioning messages, etc.

A central idea: The packaging-product pairing

The characteristics of the packaging must always correspond to the specific needs of the product it contains: The two are interdependent.

2) The three packaging levels

Different types of packaging are used to ensure the shipping, commercialization, consumption, and use of products. You need to understand the entire life cycle of the packaged product in order to integrate environmental criteria into an ecodesign approach.

Primary packaging (or sales packaging)

The primary packaging contains the product for sale, which the consumer will take away with them. As such, this type of packaging comes into direct contact with the product.

Secondary packaging (or multipack)

Secondary packaging groups several units of individual products together to facilitate their distribution or presentation. This is the packaging that’s opened in order to place the individual products on the shelves.

Tertiary packaging (or shipping and logistics packaging)

Tertiary packaging facilitates the shipping and handling of large quantities of products. This level of packaging is important because it prevents losses and breakage, which increase environmental impact.

The packaging system (packaging levels) of a product may vary based on the following factors:

Change in the primary packaging
Preferred shipping method
Distances being covered
Stackability
Packaging weight and volume

3) Packaging usage scenario

When purchasing, using, or sorting a given product, its packaging can enhance or detract from the user experience. To ensure a positive experience, packaging needs to be accessible to as many people and groups as possible: children, left-handers, the elderly, people with reduced fine motor skills, etc.

A usage scenario is developed for this very purpose, and does the following:

Describes possible experiences with the different levels of packaging (primary, secondary, tertiary).
Considers the needs and abilities of users during the preparation, shipping, handling, and consumption stages.
Includes criteria such as the readability of labels, clarity of instructions, simplicity of the opening/closing system, etc.

A company can use various means to validate a packaging’s usage scenario, such as consumer surveys and product test groups.

4) The “right packaging"

The best packaging is the result of a compromise: It fulfills its function as efficiently as it can with the lowest possible environmental impact. It strikes a balance between underpackaging and overpackaging.

Underpackaging will not adequately protect or preserve a given product during commercialization or shipping, and can result in breakage, loss, or waste.
Overpackaging doesn’t add value in terms of a product’s protection or preservation, leading to excess waste and a suboptimal use of resources.
The right packaging uses the right materials in the right quantities to adequately protect and preserve the product. It is the result of an appropriate manufacturing process and is adapted to the product’s shipping method.

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