Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: As global industries face increasing pressure to adopt circular economy principles and comply with sustainability regulations, packaging has emerged as an important strategic driver. This thesis explores the case of a global industrial manufacturer and how it can enhance its packaging innovation capabilities and align with upcoming regulatory frameworks, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Packaging and Packaging waste Directive (PPWR) and Extended Producer Responsibility. Using a case study approach based on semi-structured interviews and site visits, the study evaluates current packaging practices across the company’s decentralized business units. While the organization shows increasing commitment to sustainable materials and packaging procedures, these efforts vary significantly across sites. The findings reveal fragmented roles, limited strategic direction, inconsistent packaging data reporting, limited communication and knowledge sharing across sites, and a lack of packaging ownership which limits sustainability efforts. Packaging decisions are also influenced by different factors including technical, organizational, logistical, sustainability and cost factors which pose several challenges for harmonization and innovation. The Packaging Innovation Scorecard (PIS) was used to assess innovation maturity across seven key subprocesses, identifying both good practices and critical gaps. Based on the findings, a strategic roadmap was developed to guide the company’s transition toward a more aligned, innovation-driven approach to packaging. Key recommendations include establishing formal packaging roles, enhancing data systems, strengthening supplier collaboration, and building internal competence. While grounded in a single case, the findings offer broader relevance to industrial manufacturers seeking to integrate sustainability and circularity into their packaging systems.
Authors: Codjoe, Elizabeth, Vargas Callejas, Maria Paola
Language: English
Subfield: Strategy and Management
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7062563092