Drivers for Sustainability in Brand Protection

'A product that can't be made, used, and disposed of with minimal impact on the environment has a bleak future' is a quote from this newsletter’s sister publication Currency News™, from January 2023.

Within the secure document industry, currency is taking the lead with a well-informed debate on the various issues around sustainability. The premise of this article is that this is the time to consider the drivers for the sustainability debate within brand protection.

Products are already starting to appear in this sector. For example, Authentication & Brand News™ (ABN) March 2024 contained an article on sustainable tamper evident closure seals. Our aim here is to examine the potential drivers for sustainable solutions, starting with the evidence for complexity in this debate.

The complexity dilemma

As sustainability becomes an ever-present item on agendas ranging from board meetings to societal discussions, it is essential to note that the debate is of significant complexity. Taking the relevant example of product packaging, drivers for sustainability will inevitably involve some trade-offs. For example, reducing carbon emissions using alternative materials or manufacturing processes could result in detrimental effects later in the product’s life, such as those relating to waste management.