As another Plastic Free July draws to a close, millions of people will have spent the month making simple changes to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic.
For businesses, however, July shouldn’t mark the end of the conversation.
It should be the beginning.
Because while awareness campaigns come and go, the pressures driving sustainable packaging are only continuing to grow.
From Awareness to Action
Plastic Free July encourages people to think differently about plastic.
For manufacturers, retailers and brands, that same mindset presents an opportunity to review something with a far greater long-term impact:
Their packaging.
With customer expectations continuing to evolve and legislation such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reshaping the packaging landscape, businesses are increasingly looking beyond sustainability pledges and focusing on practical improvements that deliver measurable results.
Why EPR Makes This the Right Time to Review Your Packaging
The introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility is changing how businesses think about packaging.
Rather than focusing solely on protecting products, organisations now need to consider how packaging materials are recovered, recycled and managed once they’ve been used.
This means packaging decisions can have implications far beyond the supply chain, influencing both environmental performance and future compliance costs.
Businesses that review their packaging now will be in a stronger position to adapt as legislation continues to evolve.
The Questions Businesses Should Be Asking
As packaging legislation evolves, now is the perfect time to review your current packaging.
Ask yourself:
- Could unnecessary plastic be removed from our packaging?
- Is our corrugated packaging optimised for strength and efficiency?
- Are we using the right materials for the application?
- Could moulded fibre replace plastic inserts?
- Are we paying for unnecessary packaging materials?
- Could better packaging reduce transport damage?
- Are we prepared for the long-term impact of EPR?
Sometimes the biggest improvements come from asking the simplest questions.
Better Packaging Isn't Just About Switching Materials
Reducing plastic is important.
But sustainable packaging is about much more than replacing one material with another.
It means designing packaging that:
- Uses materials efficiently
- Protects products throughout the supply chain
- Improves recyclability
- Reduces transport emissions through smarter pack design
- Supports operational efficiency
- Delivers a better experience for customers
That’s why every packaging project should begin with understanding the application – not simply selecting a material.
Whether the solution is moulded fibre, corrugated packaging or a combination of both, the goal should always be the same: better packaging that performs throughout the supply chain while reducing unnecessary environmental impact.
Packaging Designed Around Your Business
At Cullen, we help businesses develop packaging solutions that balance sustainability, protection and commercial performance.
By designing and manufacturing both moulded fibre and corrugated packaging in-house, we can create solutions that are tailored to each customer’s products, supply chain and sustainability objectives.
Whether that’s replacing plastic protective packaging, improving transit performance or redesigning complete packaging systems, our focus remains the same:
Creating packaging that performs better.
Plastic Free July May Be Ending. Your Packaging Journey Doesn't Have To.
Plastic Free July reminds us that every positive change starts with a decision.
For businesses, that decision could be reviewing one product.
One packaging line.
Or one entire packaging system.
With EPR continuing to reshape the packaging industry and sustainability remaining firmly on the agenda, organisations that review their packaging today will be better prepared for tomorrow.
Take the Next Step with a Packaging Performance Review
If you’re unsure where to start, our Packaging Performance Review can help uncover opportunities to reduce unnecessary packaging, replace plastic where appropriate, improve efficiency and optimise packaging performance. It’s a practical first step towards building a more sustainable and future-ready packaging strategy.
At Cullen, designing fibre-based packaging that helps businesses reduce unnecessary plastic isn’t something we do for one month of the year.
It’s what we do every day.
As another Plastic Free July draws to a close, millions of people will have spent the month making simple changes to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic.
For businesses, however, July shouldn’t mark the end of the conversation.
It should be the beginning.
Because while awareness campaigns come and go, the pressures driving sustainable packaging are only continuing to grow.
From Awareness to Action
Plastic Free July encourages people to think differently about plastic.
For manufacturers, retailers and brands, that same mindset presents an opportunity to review something with a far greater long-term impact:
Their packaging.
With customer expectations continuing to evolve and legislation such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reshaping the packaging landscape, businesses are increasingly looking beyond sustainability pledges and focusing on practical improvements that deliver measurable results.
Why EPR Makes This the Right Time to Review Your Packaging
The introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility is changing how businesses think about packaging.
Rather than focusing solely on protecting products, organisations now need to consider how packaging materials are recovered, recycled and managed once they’ve been used.
This means packaging decisions can have implications far beyond the supply chain, influencing both environmental performance and future compliance costs.
Businesses that review their packaging now will be in a stronger position to adapt as legislation continues to evolve.
The Questions Businesses Should Be Asking
As packaging legislation evolves, now is the perfect time to review your current packaging.
Ask yourself:
- Could unnecessary plastic be removed from our packaging?
- Is our corrugated packaging optimised for strength and efficiency?
- Are we using the right materials for the application?
- Could moulded fibre replace plastic inserts?
- Are we paying for unnecessary packaging materials?
- Could better packaging reduce transport damage?
- Are we prepared for the long-term impact of EPR?
Sometimes the biggest improvements come from asking the simplest questions.
Better Packaging Isn't Just About Switching Materials
Reducing plastic is important.
But sustainable packaging is about much more than replacing one material with another.
It means designing packaging that:
- Uses materials efficiently
- Protects products throughout the supply chain
- Improves recyclability
- Reduces transport emissions through smarter pack design
- Supports operational efficiency
- Delivers a better experience for customers
That’s why every packaging project should begin with understanding the application – not simply selecting a material.
Whether the solution is moulded fibre, corrugated packaging or a combination of both, the goal should always be the same: better packaging that performs throughout the supply chain while reducing unnecessary environmental impact.
Packaging Designed Around Your Business
At Cullen, we help businesses develop packaging solutions that balance sustainability, protection and commercial performance.
By designing and manufacturing both moulded fibre and corrugated packaging in-house, we can create solutions that are tailored to each customer’s products, supply chain and sustainability objectives.
Whether that’s replacing plastic protective packaging, improving transit performance or redesigning complete packaging systems, our focus remains the same:
Creating packaging that performs better.
Plastic Free July May Be Ending. Your Packaging Journey Doesn't Have To.
Plastic Free July reminds us that every positive change starts with a decision.
For businesses, that decision could be reviewing one product.
One packaging line.
Or one entire packaging system.
With EPR continuing to reshape the packaging industry and sustainability remaining firmly on the agenda, organisations that review their packaging today will be better prepared for tomorrow.
Take the Next Step with a Packaging Performance Review
If you’re unsure where to start, our Packaging Performance Review can help uncover opportunities to reduce unnecessary packaging, replace plastic where appropriate, improve efficiency and optimise packaging performance. It’s a practical first step towards building a more sustainable and future-ready packaging strategy.
At Cullen, designing fibre-based packaging that helps businesses reduce unnecessary plastic isn’t something we do for one month of the year.
It’s what we do every day.
