How can connected data accelerate sustainable packaging design?

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Long before a bottle, wrapper or box ever reaches a shop shelf, decisions are made on how much material it uses and whether it can be reused, recycled or recovered.

In fact, most large organisations hold vast amounts of packaging data – such as material specifications, recyclability assessments and regulatory filings. The trouble is that it tends to sit in different systems, in different formats and is owned by different internal functions that rarely talk to one another – engineering defines the materials, procurement manages suppliers, sustainability tracks environmental performance and finance handles the fees.

The result, as SAP has documented, is that many companies are still managing packaging compliance through spreadsheets and disconnected legacy systems, even as regulatory deadlines tighten.

Without a single, reliable view of this information, businesses struggle to do the basic things good design requires: compare materials on a like-for-like basis, model the consequences of a design change or spot where circularity gains are actually available.

SAP’s answer, developed in response to customer demand, is a platform called SAP Responsible Design and Production.

It pulls together packaging data from across an organisation into a single platform. Rather than treating compliance as an end in itself, the system enables businesses to understand the composition, recyclability and environmental performance of their packaging across products, suppliers and markets, creating a stronger foundation for better design decisions. When packaging engineers can immediately compare recycled content, carbon footprint, recyclability scores, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees and supplier information in one place, they can evaluate design alternatives in minutes rather than weeks.

“You cannot improve what you cannot understand. When businesses have reliable packaging data in one place, they can move beyond reporting and make better-informed decisions that improve both sustainability and business performance.” –Sarah Gillespie, Product Marketing Manager, SAP Responsible Design and Production.

Comparability across markets informs innovation in packaging

The proliferation of packaging regulations – plastic taxes, recyclability labelling rules and producer responsibility schemes – reflects genuine ambition to curb plastic pollution. But for companies operating across borders, differing reporting requirements, definitions and obligations create complexity and real costs.

This is where digital tools can play an important role. Digital platforms such as SAP Responsible Design and Production, that map packaging data alongside multiple regulatory regimes simultaneously allow businesses to better understand their obligations across markets while maintaining a consistent approach to packaging design and reporting. This reduces administrative burden and frees up resources for real innovation.

This closely reflects what ICC is asking negotiators to build into the Global Plastics Treaty, negotiated through the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution. While implementation pathways will differ by country, greater harmonisation of principles and standards for product design will help businesses invest with more confidence and accelerate progress towards a circular economy – allowing genuine innovations in product delivery and packaging formats to reduce waste and increase recyclability.

Compliance alone won’t address the plastic pollution problem. Benchmarking and systems change will.

The greatest opportunity lies not in meeting today’s requirements but in improving tomorrow’s products. Beyond regulatory reporting, SAP’s platform lets companies assess packaging against recognised design guidance, including the Consumer Goods Forum’s Golden Design Rules, and against their own targets. Design teams can compare different packaging options, measure progress against company targets and use data to guide future decisions.

And the urgency is real. SAP is positioning the platform’s AI capabilities around an anticipated tripling of global packaging regulations by 2030 and the European Union’s (EU) Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation – which from August 2026 will require a live, system-verifiable Document of Compliance for products sold in the EU.

In addition, companies face real costs and risks from not having proper systems in place, and miss opportunities to save money:

“Companies need to pay attention now. The downside is significant: inaccurate reporting can lead to financial penalties, while under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), non-compliant packaging could ultimately face market access restrictions. The upside is equally compelling. By connecting packaging data and embedding compliance into core business processes, organisations can reduce compliance operating costs by up to 70%, lower Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees through eco-modulation, and design more sustainable packaging. It’s a win for compliance, cost and sustainability.” –Darren West, Global Head of Circular Economy Solutions, SAP

Yet, none of this is going to solve plastic pollution on its own. Better data cannot collect, sort or recycle plastic – it requires improvements across the entire value chain. But it does address a more basic constraint. Businesses cannot redesign what they cannot measure.

As negotiations on a global plastics treaty continue, practical tools that improve transparency, support sustainability-by-design and help businesses navigate an increasingly complex policy landscape will help to turn ambition into implementation.