Ellen MacArthur Foundation report defines guardrails for paper-based small-format packaging

A new report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, released on 10 March, argues that paper-based flexible packaging could play a role in reducing plastic pollution from small-format packaging — but only if it is designed, sourced and scaled responsibly.

Titled Paper-Based Flexible Packaging: The role it could play in tackling small-format flexible plastic pollution in markets with high leakage rates, the report provides specific criteria for businesses and policymakers evaluating alternatives to conventional flexible plastic packaging. It focuses particularly on sachets, wrappers, pouches and other small-format packs widely used for consumer goods such as snacks, shampoo, coffee and cooking oil.

According to the Foundation, small-format flexible plastics are among the most difficult packaging formats to manage after use. Their low value and small size mean they are rarely collected by waste systems or informal waste pickers, leading to widespread environmental leakage. Flexible plastics are estimated to account for around 80% of plastic packaging entering the oceans and have some of the lowest recycling rates globally.

Sander Defruyt, Plastics Strategy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said, “Flexible plastic packaging pollution is a systemic challenge – with an estimated 20 trillion items expected to enter our oceans over the next 15 years. There’s no silver bullet, therefore adding paper-based alternatives to the mix helpfully expands the toolbox, complementing other priority solutions such as reusable packaging.
This will require major innovation and action from industry and policymakers to speed up development and scaling, guided by the six critical criteria in this report to ensure we don’t replace one problem with another.”

The report suggests that paper-based flexible packaging could help address this challenge in markets where waste collection systems are weak and leakage into the environment is common. Because paper-based materials can potentially be designed to biodegrade and be recycled, they could reduce the persistence of packaging waste in the environment if it escapes collection systems.

However, the Foundation stresses that material substitution alone is not a silver bullet. Paper-based packaging carries its own environmental risks, including increased pressure on forests, higher water consumption in production, and potential greenhouse gas emissions depending on how materials are sourced and disposed off.

The report therefore introduces six ‘critical criteria’ that define what the Foundation calls ‘responsibly designed’ paper-based flexible packaging. These include responsible fibre sourcing, environmentally responsible production, meeting technical, economic and consumer performance needs, compatibility with local recycling systems, avoidance of hazardous chemicals and persistent plastic pollution, and alignment with broader circular economy strategies.

Crucially, the report notes that packaging solutions meeting all these criteria are not yet widely available. While early innovation efforts show promise, current paper-based flexible formats often struggle to match the performance, cost and scalability of plastic equivalents.

To bridge this gap, the Foundation calls for accelerated innovation, stronger collaboration across the packaging value chain, and greater investment in recycling and waste management infrastructure. It also highlights the need for complementary approaches such as reducing reliance on small-format packaging, expanding reuse models, and strengthening collection systems.

More than 60 experts from industry, academia and civil society contributed to the report, including representatives from brands, packaging manufacturers, NGOs and research institutions. Organisations endorsing the report’s vision include major global companies such as Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever, among others.

Gaurav Goel, Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, said, “This report, backed by evidence and stakeholder input, sets the initial canvas on challenges and critical conditions to turn the promise of paper flexibles into a scalable reality.

It strongly emphasises the need to combine judicious material choice and radical material innovation with deep collaboration and data-driven assessment for engineering packaging solutions that protect the product and the planet.”

Pablo Costa, Global Head of Packaging, Digital and Transformation at Unilever, said, "Next-generation paper-based flexible packaging is a key focus for Unilever and an industry-wide priority.

This report is clear on the important role paper will play and what it will take to scale solutions that are desirable for consumers, better for the environment, and viable for businesses.”

The Foundation emphasises that tackling small-format packaging pollution will require systemic change across materials, business models and waste management systems. Paper-based flexibles, it concludes, may become a valuable tool in this transition — but only when deployed alongside broader efforts to reduce waste and build a circular economy for packaging.