The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. As the leading voice on sustainable packaging, we are passionate about creating packaging that is good for people and good for the environment. Our mission is to bring sustainable packaging stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to packaging systems and lend an authoritative voice on issues related to packaging sustainability.
We have curated a diverse collection of resources to help you navigate the realm of sustainable packaging. Here, you will find a wealth of knowledge and practical tools to support your sustainability journey.
Guides
Advice and insights to empower informed decisions and drive positive change
2025 Sustainable Packaging Trends Report
Framework for Scaling Reuse
Designed to help companies drive successful, scalable reuse initiatives.
Evaluating Alternative & Non-Wood Fiber Use in Packaging
Assesses myths and trade-offs around packaging from alternative fibers.
Chemical Recycling Questions & Answers
A resource designed to explain chemical recycling technologies relevant to packaging.
2024 Packaging Innovations Trends Report
Insights into new designs, materials, and consumer engagement strategies driving innovation.
Definition of Sustainable Packaging
Guide to Recycled Plastics: Part 1 of 3
Guide to Recycled Plastics: Part 2 of 3
Guide to Recycled Plastics: Part 3 of 3
Guidance for Reusable Packaging
Understanding goals and assumptions in order to design a more successful reusable packaging program
Designing Packaging to Prevent and Divert Food Waste
A guide to helping companies reduce food waste by prioritizing prevention and deploying the right packaging designs, formats, and technologies
Intro to Flexible Packaging Recovery
Flexible packaging plays an important role in packaging sustainability, however despite its many benefits, end-of-life recovery is still a major challenge
How to know if your paper packaging is recyclable
An introduction to paper packaging recyclability test methods & specifications
Guide to EPR Proposals
The purpose of this guide is to help organizations identify the differences between the various proposals while also developing a deeper understanding of the components of EPR policy
Understanding the Role of Compostable Packaging
The guide helps brands prevent problems down the road by evaluating which applications are the best fit for compostable packaging
Ensuring the Success of Compostable Packaging
The goal of this document is to organize the barriers facing compostable packaging and the solutions needed, as well as to outline the organizations working to address and ultimately overcome these barriers
Guide to Verifying Responsible Sourcing of Fiber
This guide provides a primer and resources for paper and paper-based packaging
Composting Maps: U.S. Facilities
Mapping composting Infrastructure and supporting legislation
Composting Maps: Urban Access
Interactive maps and charts of municipally-run and privately-run composting programs developed to better understand residential access to composting programs in urban areas of the United States
Case Studies
Showcasing real-life examples of organizations achieving sustainable packaging goals
Can Packaging Help Divert Restaurant Food Waste?
Case studies of two quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains in Vermont & New York
How Companies Use LCA Tools to Meet Packaging Goals
Case studies leveraging Trayak’s screening LCA tool, EcoImpact-COMPASS, to measure environmental impacts associated with a packaging change.
101s
Foundational building blocks for sustainable packaging knowledge
Extended Producer Responsibility: ECO-MODULATION OVERVIEW
In this resource, we dig some common questions about eco-modulation and provide an overview of eco-modulation in the EPR programs across the five states that have passed EPR laws.
EPR FOR PACKAGING IN THE UNITED STATES: EPR Acronyms & Abbreviations
This quick reference sheet provides an overview of some common acronyms and abbreviations that are frequently used at the federal- and state-level when discussing extended producer
responsibility (EPR).
Designing for End of Life by Product Category
Looking for a “one size fits all” solution – for example, 100% recyclability for all packaging – is not realistic, nor will this approach move at the speed needed for the scale of the waste and climate problems. Rather, applying the right solution to the appropriate packaging challenge will be the best use of stakeholders’ resources.
EPR for Packaging in the United States: Covered Products and Exemptions
Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and paper products is a policy approach that assigns producers (brands, manufacturers, etc.) responsibility for the end-of-life of their products.
Introduction to Flexible Packaging Recovery
Flexible packaging plays an important role in packaging sustainability, however despite its many benefits, end-of-life recovery is still a major challenge
Introduction to End Markets for Hard-to-Recycle Plastics
The circularity of hard-to-recycle plastics benefits from design for recyclability, improved infrastructure for collection and sortation, and increased demand pull from end markets
Introduction to Chemical Recycling
Increased transparency around impacts, green chemistry principles, and collaboration to strengthen the entire. recycling system are crucial to the successful implementation of chemical recycling
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Producer Exemptions
At their foundational level, all Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs
have one thing in common: producers. This resource clarifies who is responsible (or obligated) for the covered product (packaging and/or paper products) and thus, who is responsible for contributing to the financial, operational, or combined program.
Position Statements
Official GreenBlue perspectives on policy, terminology, specific decisions, and more across the sustainable packaging industry
Chemical Recycling
Chemical recycling refers to a spectrum of physical and chemical processes for transforming plastic or polymer waste into new products. Chemical recycling technologies fall under three main categories: purification, depolymerization, and conversion.
Reuse
We support reusable and refillable packaging as one tool to accelerate our mission. To enable successful reusable packaging systems, the SPC believes in a holistic definition of reusable packaging that includes intentionality, system boundaries, and assured environmental benefit. Successful reusable packaging systems will also focus on applying reusable packaging to specific product categories and work towards facilitating high return rates of the packaging.
Packaging Policy
Our role is of an agnostic subject matter expert and educational resource that helps our members and other stakeholders understand packaging-related policies so they are informed and can participate actively in packaging policy conversations…
Greenwashing
The SPC recommends a definition of greenwashing to enable more fruitful conversations about environmental marketing, on-pack eco-labeling, and consumer education…
“Biodegradable” Packaging
The SPC recommends that packaging companies do not use the term “biodegradable” to market their products to suppliers, retailers, or consumers…
Degradability Additives in Petroleum-Based Plastics
The SPC does not support the use of any kind of degradability additives in packaging, including additives that seek to make packaging more degradable in landfills, marine environments, or open environments…
Problematic Materials
The Problematic Materials workstream worked with The Plastics Pact Activators to “take measures to eliminate 11 problematic and unnecessary resins, components, and formats by 2025 in order to accelerate progress toward a circular economy for plastic packaging in the United States”.
Member-only resources
SPC’s resources that are available exclusively for members via the SPC Member Portal.
Paper Packaging Design Guides
Covers currently available and in-development paper packaging design guides for recyclability.
Guided Information for Sustainable Packaging Transformation
The GIST is a hub of sustainable resources, collated by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Legislative Landscape for Chemical Recycling
Covering EPR, PCR Recycled Content, and Chemical, Recycling Legislation
A Primer on Recycled Plastic Packaging
PCR Primer for Retail Teams in Purchasing, Sourcing, Design, and Product Development