What We're Made of Matters: Exploring the People, Materials & Ideas Advancing Sustainable Packaging

 

What’s the key to unlocking that potential? Material, yes. Creativity, of course. Design, without a doubt. But when any of these forces are in silos, progress stalls. True innovation only happens when it all comes together: a powerful synergy of sustainable materials, bold ideas and the people who can bring them to life. In this blog series, we’ll celebrate the power of paper by shining a spotlight on the people, ideas and substrates that are transforming packaging and driving our industry – and our world – forward.  

Because from our products to our teams to our values, we know that what we’re made of matters.

 

People Matter 

When a customer brings us a challenge, the first thing we do is assemble our team — because nearly a century in the packaging industry has taught us that nothing is possible without our people. From our designers to our engineers to our packaging experts, our shared purpose brings us together to transform every challenge into a solution. 

“We’re pushing the boundaries of what paper should intuitively be able to do,” said Britt Staley, senior director, innovation. “That kind of industry-leading innovation happens when our incredible teams collaborate across capabilities and expertise to imagine the next generation of packaging.”  

The collaboration and community that drive our innovation are also what shape our culture — because our work is bigger than what we produce. It’s about creating sustainable, lasting change for our customers, our teammates and the communities where we live and work. When people come first, our individual strengths turn into collective impact. 

When Costco approached us in 2020 about replacing their plastic “dog bones” for bottle multipacks with a durable and sustainable packaging alternative, it was an opportunity to put our shared values into action. As a customer-led company, what matters to our customers matters to us — and for Costco, that meant advancing sustainability together. Initially, Costco requested a direct replacement for the plastic dog bones, but when our teams came together to brainstorm, we quickly determined that paper required a different approach. 

“The key for paper-based design is that we take into account how the paper behaves,” explained Juan Carlos Palacios, design manager, food & beverage. “It’s different than plastic, which is very rigid, so our teammates are very creative and strategic about adapting the design for the flexibility that paper offers.”  

The team also navigated a range of challenges spanning manufacturing, co‑packing and consumer handling. “By approaching the project not only as designers, but as consumers, we were able to redefine testing standards and better understand how the solution needed to perform in real‑world conditions,” Juan Carlos said. “We wanted to prepare the solution to withstand both expected and unexpected uses.” 

 

Materials Matter 

Our team got to work on a paper-based handle that could be applied with the same automation already being used to apply plastic handles, improving not only sustainability, but functionality and aesthetics too. Since we offer a wide spectrum of paperboard substrates, we were able to evaluate and test the materials to identify a substrate that met the specific needs of this solution. 

“Our paper handle solutions take everyone by surprise,” said Matt Zacherle, new product commercialization manager. “We have been able to change the way people think about paper and what it can do by creating solutions that can exceed the strength of plastic while also being recyclable and offer a billboard to connect with the consumer. Once you see and feel it, you will believe it!” 

The benefits of paper are maximized when it’s responsibly made and managed. Our integrated approach to producer responsibility and paper recycling means that 56% of our raw material is predominantly post-consumer recycled fiber — more than any other packaging material. Any necessary virgin fiber is sourced from sustainably managed forests. The result is true circularity: a material that’s renewable, recyclable and eventually returned to the system.  

We knew that a thoughtfully designed paper-based solution would help Costco meet changing regulations while also advancing their commitment to plastic reduction and responsible resource usage, values that are core to the company. 

“We were able to use the paper substrate to design EnduraGrip®, an even stronger dog bone carrier that’s also curbside recyclable and can be personalized with graphics,” Palacios said. “When you have teamwork, creativity and deep knowledge driving innovation, paper can truly be a catalyst for real, lasting impact.”  
 

Ideas Matter  

We believe that better packaging sits at the intersection of sustainability and innovation. That’s why we’re continuously testing ideas, refining solutions and exploring what’s possible. By applying our vision, resources and capabilities, we can move at pace to challenge just how much paper can do.  

For Costco, the transition to our paper-based EnduraGrip® clips was so successful that our team saw an opportunity to take the solution even further. While we had already provided change parts to adapt their existing machinery, we have now developed equipment specifically designed to apply paper-based handles at scale. Together, the multipack solution and the dedicated machinery create a fully integrated packaging solution.  

“We continued to accelerate Costco’s plastic replacement with Cluster-Clip®, a paper-based solution to bundle jars,” Zacherle said. “It’s been exciting to see the impact of these changes continuing to grow, as more Costco locations across Asia and North America adopt the new packaging solutions.”  

The Future Matters 

When we help a customer like Costco optimize their operations, we serve as more than just packaging partners. We’re true thought partners, guided by their priorities as we work side-by-side to reimagine packaging and reduce plastic. By transitioning to paper-based sustainable packaging solutions like EnduraGrip® and Cluster-Clip®, Costco has eliminated approximately 520 tons (1 million pounds) of plastic and counting. It’s proof that what packaging is made of matters — and what a company is made of matters, too.  

Every team member, every idea and every choice shapes the impact we make and the future we build. As we pursue our shared purpose to create, protect and care, we’re committed to developing packaging that reduces the impact on generations to come. We invite you to join along through this blog series, as we pull back the curtain on the people and innovation turning paper’s potential into real-world progress.