The Essentials of Goal Setting

Developed by The Sustainable Packaging Coalition®

Part of the full Essentials of Sustainable Packaging Training Program

The Essentials of Goal Setting is a deep dive into the most important considerations for setting effective sustainable packaging goals that drive change internally and with supply chain partners.

The course identifies key elements of goals and highlights strategies like benchmarking internally and against your peers, as well as showcasing approaches for setting country-specific, regional, and global goals. It explores the motivations for creating both public and internal goals, including a discussion of today’s most important regulatory and voluntary frameworks related to goal setting. The course then dives into an analysis of the different kinds of corporate sustainability goals and packaging goals that companies are setting in the areas of sourcing, optimization, and recovery for packaging. Finally, the Essentials of Goal Setting provides key takeaways and equips you to develop ambitious yet realistic goals that address the entire packaging life cycle.

Course curriculum: 

• What is a Goal? – How goals are different from statements of interest 
• Why Goals – Motivations and regulatory drivers for setting packaging goals 
• Goal Setting – Understanding the scope and ambition packaging goals
• Sourcing Goals – Setting goals related to sourcing renewable or recycled content materials
• Optimization Goals – Setting goals around material and volumetric efficiency and material health
• Recovery Goals – Setting goals around end-of-life recovery of packaging

Course length: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Learning Objectives: 

After taking this course, the Learner will be able to:

1. Summarize today’s trends and drivers for goal setting, including regional voluntary and regulatory frameworks
2. Outline the five elements of an effective goal
3. Distinguish between various packaging goal types and describe key considerations for each goal type

What learners are saying:

• I liked the examples of how companies were reaching their goals
• Great information 
• It gives guidelines on how to create goals – providing key information, with examples, so our company knows where to start in setting them. Very worthwhile course!

The Essentials of Goal Setting is included in the online subscription to The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging.

From the course: 

From the SPC blog:

Courses in The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging: