Greg Lawson: Courtauld 50 and counting

When you look at the results to date the jury may be out for some. Whilst there have been some very positive outcomes there have been some areas where signatories have fallen short of their commitments.

That said the CC has been the start of a new focus on packaging for some and increased exposure for others. There are those signatories where it is fair to say that this is a piece of brand endorsement before it became part of a meaningful environmental strategy.

However without question the Courtauld approach has opened the eyes of many to the role of packaging in their organization and given businesses confidence to invest collectively.

Companies have begun to understand the role and the area of effect packaging has on many departments across the business.

For example, packaging interacts with the consumer, the product and marketing team, the supply chain and logistics operations and the product vendor and more often their packaging supplier.

Which means we are talking about significant impact commercially and environmentally if packaging can be optimized and compliance delivered in region of manufacture.

So where does it go from here?

When Less first started our mission there were muted requests for carbon measurement and more of a focus on commercial benefit and weight reduction. However, the last 12 months have shown a marked change in what the retailer and brand owner really want.

We are now being asked to examine our impact on speed to market, improving compliance levels and the overall impact of packaging and related elements of the supply chain on the planet.

This is a refreshing change of stance and one that is in many ways a thought process brought about by Courtauld.

Greg Lawson is managing director of The Less Packaging Company.

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