Unpacking the Truth: The Biggest Myths About Sustainable Packaging

“Sustainable packaging” sounds simple enough: choose paper, look for “compostable,” find the recycling symbol, and call it a day.

If only it were that easy.

As a packaging broker working with food and retail businesses, we see a lot of confusion around what makes packaging sustainable, and we understand why! Materials, recycling programs and composting guidelines can vary from one municipality to another, making it surprisingly easy to make assumptions about what happens to packaging after it leaves your hands.

Here are a few of the biggest myths we come across.

Myth #1: “If packaging is recyclable, it will be recycled.”

Not necessarily. A package may be made from recyclable materials, but that doesn't automatically mean your local recycling program will accept it. Recycling guidelines vary by region and municipality, and certain materials, coatings or packaging components can affect whether an item is recyclable through your local system. Some items may also need to be cleaned, separated or prepared in a specific way before they can be recycled. Ultimately, whether packaging gets recycled depends on the materials it's made from, what local recycling programs accept, and whether consumers dispose of it correctly. Check out our “Know your Packaging” videos for tips and tricks on how to recycle.

It’s also important to remember that guidelines can change. One of the ways we support our clients is by continually educating ourselves on packaging materials and changing guidelines, so they don't have to spend their valuable time keeping up with all of it themselves.

Myth #2: “If it’s paper, it must be compostable.”

A paper cup, for example, is only compostable when the entire product—including its lining and other components—is designed to break down under the appropriate composting conditions. Many compostable cups use plant-based PLA or specialized water-based coatings instead of conventional plastic linings. However, certification and local composting infrastructure matter, so it's important to look beyond the word “compostable” when choosing a cup. Whether a cup can actually go into your local composting program depends on the exact components of the cup, and on the specific product and the municipality.

We saw this firsthand with a coffee shop owner who believed their cups were compostable and advertised them as such. The catch? Their municipality had strict composting guidelines and didn't accept those cups. Although the cups could be composted elsewhere, this location actually needed to recycle the cups. The local disposal system was simply different from what the owner expected.

That's why our first piece of advice is always: check your local municipality's guidelines before making sustainability claims about your packaging.

Myth #3: “Compostable automatically means better.”

We wish sustainability came with a simple scoreboard.

Compostable: 10 points.

Recyclable: 8 points.

Plastic: 0 points.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

Food and retail packaging needs to do a lot of jobs. It needs to protect the product, meet food-safety requirements, survive transportation, look good, and perform in the real world. There are also considerations around cost, materials and what happens to the package after use.

A compostable package that can't actually be composted in the system available to your customers may not deliver the outcome you expect. Likewise, recyclable packaging needs an appropriate collection and processing system behind it.

That's why we encourage our clients to look at all factors in a situation and ask a more useful question:

“What will actually happen to this package after my customer is finished with it?”

Myth #4: “Paper is always better than plastic.”

We'd love for sustainability to be that straightforward, but packaging always involves trade-offs.

The right choice depends on what you're packaging, how it needs to perform, how it's disposed of, and what options are realistically available to your customers. Paper that leaks iced coffee onto your customer’s hands and is not being recycled, is not “better” than a plastic cup that fulfills the business’ functional needs AND is properly recycled. 

We're not here to tell every business that paper is better, plastic is better, or one particular material is the answer. Our job is to help clients understand their options and choose packaging that makes sense for their specific product and business.

So, what should businesses do?

Before choosing your next custom packaging solution, consider:

• Know your material. Understand what your packaging is actually made from, including coatings or additional components.

• Check local guidelines. Find out what your customers can realistically recycle or compost where they live.

• Be careful with sustainability claims. “Recyclable” and “compostable” don't always mean what customers assume they mean.

• Consider the whole picture. Functionality, food safety, durability, cost and disposal all matter.

• Ask your packaging professional. You know your business, we know packaging. That's where we can help.

The bottom line

There isn't one magical packaging material that makes a product sustainable.

Paper isn't automatically compostable. Compostable doesn't always mean compostable in your local green bin. And recyclable doesn't necessarily mean your municipality accepts it.

The good news? You don't have to navigate it alone.

As packaging brokers, we help businesses bring their custom-branded packaging ideas to life while staying informed about materials, disposal options and changing guidelines. We believe the best packaging decisions come from understanding the whole picture, not simply choosing whatever has the greenest label.

So before your next packaging order, do a little digging, ask a few questions, and don't be afraid to get expert advice.

Because sustainable packaging isn't about finding the perfect label. It's about finding the right solution for your product, your customers and the system it will ultimately end up in. Click here to connect with your packaging besties today.