The Green Revolution Is No Longer Optional: What CPG Brands Need to Know
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NielsenIQ: The Changing Climate of Sustainability
The Green Revolution Is No Longer Optional: What CPG Brand Owners Need to Know
Back in 2021, we wrote that sustainability had shifted from a trend to an expectation. Just a few years later, the stakes have risen considerably. It's no longer just an expectation, it's becoming a legal, financial, and consumer-driven imperative. According to NielsenIQ's The Changing Climate of Sustainability report, three powerful forces are now converging to make sustainable business transformation mandatory. And packaging sits right at the center of the storm.
Governance Is Forcing the Issue
Governments across Europe and several U.S. states are rapidly moving from voluntary sustainability guidelines to binding mandates, covering supply chain transparency, carbon levies, and packaging-specific requirements like the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products regulation. Greenwashing is increasingly in regulators' crosshairs, and vague environmental claims on-pack are becoming a serious liability. With 77% of consumers saying they would stop buying from a brand found guilty of greenwashing, your packaging isn't just a marketing surface anymore, it's a compliance and trust statement. Folding cartons, made from renewable fiber and fully recyclable, give brands a credible, defensible sustainability story that can withstand that scrutiny.
Climate Costs Are Hitting the Bottom Line
Extreme weather events are disrupting raw material supply chains globally, driving up costs and forcing brands to rethink sourcing strategies. For CPG companies still relying heavily on plastic or multi-material packaging, this pressure compounds quickly. Paperboard-based folding cartons offer a more resilient alternative since they are sourced from responsibly managed forests, widely accepted in curbside recycling, and increasingly manufactured using renewable energy. Switching isn't just an environmental decision; in a world of spiraling resource costs, it's a financially sound one.
Consumers Are Ready — But the Shelf Has to Meet Them
Consumer urgency is real: 69% of shoppers say sustainability has grown more important to them over the past two years. But 26% still struggle to find sustainable options on shelf, up from 18% in 2017, and confusing or unclear claims remain a top barrier to action. As we noted in 2021, brands have increasingly come to see sustainable packaging not as an added cost but as an investment in their brand. That thinking is now more relevant than ever. Clear recycling labels, honest sustainability messaging, and the visible shift away from plastic all signal to shoppers that a brand is walking the talk, and folding cartons are uniquely positioned to carry that message.
Brands Are Expected to Lead
The NielsenIQ data is direct: 46% of consumers look to brands first to take the lead on sustainable change, ahead of governments and retailers. The risks of falling short range from eroding brand equity to losing retail shelf space entirely. Packaging is often the first and most visible proof point of a brand's sustainability commitment. Choosing the right substrate and the right manufacturing partner is no longer a procurement decision made in isolation, it's a strategic one.
The Bottom Line
The window for gradual, piecemeal sustainability efforts is closing. Brands that act now — starting with the packaging their consumers see and touch every day — will be better positioned than those waiting for a perfect solution. We've been saying it since 2021: sustainability is an expectation. Now it's also an obligation. Let's talk about what that looks like for your brand.
Ready to make sustainable packaging part of your brand's story? Let's talk.
