Anyone who works in packaging material sourcing or makes supply chain decisions knows there are a host of factors to consider when deciding which materials to use in product development. Traditionally, quality, cost, and performance have been the key drivers behind decision making around material selection. But what happens to that decision when other factors are thrown into the mix, like voluntary sustainability initiatives, green marketing, customer demands, and retailer initiatives? Material selection choice can become less clear-cut. And furthermore, if there are trade-offs to consider, the decision can become as clear as mud.
These are the realities that supply chain companies are forced to negotiate each day. The decision whether to use post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics is a good example of a material that some brand owners find themselves thinking about in the decision-making process. Choosing to use recycled plastics can become an internal struggle—and that’s before the engineers get their hands on the material for trials and testing, and the material validation process begins.
