Sustainable Industrial Packaging: Elevating Supply Chain Circularity and Business Competitiveness

Industrial packaging plays an important role in the performance and environmental efficiency of supply
chains. Despite it being so important, the implications that industrial packaging decisions have on the
logistics operations (and vice-versa) are not completely understood. This thesis contributes to the
understanding of the impacts of sustainable industrial packaging by discussing the importance of
integrating such decisions within the supply chain context. This research also explores the opportunities
that can emerge from sustainability-oriented innovations on packaging logistics and how these
innovations can increase business competitiveness.
The research presented in this thesis is reported in the five attached research articles, the findings of
which are built on each other. The first paper frames and sets the boundaries of the thesis and is a
stepping stone to the articles that follow. The other four papers delve into two research streams. Each of
the streams corresponds to the two research questions (RQs) to which this thesis contributes. The first
research stream focuses on the key aspects that should be considered when planning and implementing
sustainable industrial packaging initiatives. The second stream focuses on the implementation of
sustainability-oriented innovations on packaging logistics to increase efficiency and business
competitiveness.
The five papers applied different methodologies, some using qualitative and some quantitative data. The
first paper (Paper I) presents a systematic literature review. Two papers (Papers II and IV) follow with
two case studies: the former using the life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, and the latter applying
a design science approach. The remaining papers (Papers III and V) build on the findings from the case
studies; the former explore other impact indicators to better grasp the impacts of plastic pollution to
complement the global warming potential (GWP) analysis (research stream 1). The latter proposes a set
of opportunities to test on packaging logistics in home deliveries of food and groceries to help differentiate
the business model and lead to a competitive edge (research stream 2).
The findings from this research have relevance for researchers, practitioners and policymakers. First, the
emphasis on the importance of considering the supply chain context: for example, the impact of the
transport modes or the location to which the packaging will be shipped (and thus turned into waste) can
cause significant effects, oftentimes overlooked in the packaging development phase. This also has
implications for the policies, since some regulations focus on steering companies in certain directions,
others that dismiss the context in which the changes are applied. Second, the importance of adjusting
processes and practices when transitioning from linear to circular business models. Viable transitions to
circular models require a thorough analysis. This includes the change in dynamics and perceptions of
the different actors actively involved in all stages of the process. This is particularly complex when the
final customer (consumer) is one of them, as their reasoning and intrinsic motivations are different from
those discussed and negotiated with other business partners.