Greener Groceries: How Sustainable Packaging Is Reshaping the Way We Shop
By Eva Onur
Plastics have been the foundation of how we shop for decades. From berry containers to face mask packaging, almost every item sold at grocery stores is sold in a single-use plastic. With the plastic crisis worsening in recent years, grocery retailers and manufacturers have turned their attention toward sustainable packaging as a way to address these current sales limitations. Reusable systems like liquid soap in a soap bar, biodegradable packaging materials, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics like the brown napkins in every grab-and-go eatery are becoming the new standards. These changes are not only environmentally significant but also essential to promoting a more sustainable purchasing economy. As plastic bans spread across the U.S. — including in New York — companies are rethinking packaging to align with both legislative mandates and consumer demand for eco-conscious choices (Packaging Tech Today, 2024 (https://www.packagingtechtoday.com/materials/sustainable/sustainable-packaging-trends-of-2024/)).
While it may seem unprofitable to engage in sustainability, large stakeholders in grocery are offered the opportunity to control a multi-billion dollar sustainability and plastics market. Reusable packaging systems, for example, are projected to drive a global market increase from $113.77 billion in 2022 to $197.11 billion by 2032. Other approaches, such as embracing PCR materials, can cut down on virgin plastics. Since 2018, 65% of brands have cut back on virgin plastic use, with the top 25% achieving a 13% reduction (Surgere, 2024 (https://surgere.com/blog/top-6-sustainable-packaging-trends-in-2024/)). Not only is the market booming, but the grocery sector also opens itself up to research and technological growth outside of its field. To this end, another promising innovation is the development of biodegradable and compostable packaging, applicable to everything from Saran wrap to water bottles. Researchers are actively researching materials like plant protein and dairy-based films that break down more easily in the environment. As consumers grow more aware of plastic’s environmental toll, grocery chains are under pressure to adopt materials that align with circular economy principles (Wikipedia: Sustainable Packaging (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_packaging)).
An example of this shift in action is Precycle, a zero-waste grocery store in Brooklyn, New York. At Precycle, customers bring their containers to shop for grains, produce, cleaning products, and more. The store avoids all single-use packaging and prioritizes local sourcing to minimize transportation emissions. In doing so, Precycle helps redefine not just what people buy, but how they shop — placing responsibility and transparency at the center of the consumer experience and serving as a catalyst for sustainable grocery growth in the nyc metro area and beyond (Circle Economy Knowledge Hub (https://knowledge-hub.circle-economy.com/article/23286?n=Precycle-A-Case-Study-in-Zero-Waste-Grocery-Shopping)).
These advancements in grocery packaging may help us, the consumer, feel as if we are doing our part in the climate crisis. However, that isn’t their only purpose — they are integral to building a sustainable purchasing economy. By reducing plastic waste, encouraging mindful consumption, and spurring innovation in materials science, sustainable packaging is transforming supply chains and shopping habits. Big retailers’ money into materials research and smaller-scale, individual climate activism through working with companies like Precycle will help create a world where sustainability is the default, not the exception.