Top 10: Sustainable Packaging Companies

From food and beverages to toys and technology, nearly everything is packaged for convenience and protection.

While packaging can help to preserve quality and reduce waste, it can also become waste itself.

When thrown away, the energy used to mine, refine, smelt and shape packaging goes to waste along with the materials it contains. 

Packaging companies have risen to the challenge of reducing their environmental impact, and Sustainability Magazine has ranked 10 of the top companies making a difference.

10. Huhtamaki

EVP Sustainability, Corporate Affairs & Legal: Sami Pauni
Headquarters: Espoo, Finland
Founded: 1920
Employees: 18,000

In 2024, Huhtamaki used 99% certified or recycled fibre and 65.4% renewable or recycled materials alongside increasing its use of renewable electricity and reducing waste to landfill. 

By 2030, all fibre it uses will be from recycled or certified sources, all of its products will be designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable and all of the electricity it uses will be renewable.

The company says that its ambition is to be the first choice in sustainable packaging solutions.

9. Mondi

Group Head of Sustainability: Gladys Naylor
Headquarters: Weybridge, UK
Founded: 1967
Employees: 22,000

The Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) focuses on circularity, people, climate and responsible business practices. This includes eliminating manufacturing waste to landfill, maintaining zero deforestation in its wood supply and reducing its emissions.

“Our focus is on driving impact and progress towards MAP2030, with high-quality reporting supporting us to demonstrate how integral sustainability is to Mondi’s business model and for our commercial success,” says Gladys Naylor, Mondi’s Group Head of Sustainable Development, in its 2024 Sustainable Development Report.

8. International Paper

VP and Chief Sustainability Officer: Sophie Beckham
Headquarters: Tennessee, US
Founded: 1898
Employees: 37,000

International Paper, the largest pulp and paper company and owner of DS Smith, aims to advance circular solutions throughout its value chain and source 100% of its fibre from sustainable managed forests or recovered fibre by 2030. 

“Making change real on the ground, and communicating it to our key stakeholders, takes a dedicated, focused and passionate team,” says Chief Sustainability Officer Sophie Beckham. “I'm so lucky to work with exactly such a group at International Paper and together with our strategic partners.”

7. Stora Enso

Chief Sustainability Officer: Toby Croucher
Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Founded: 1998
Employees: 19,000

By the end of 2024, Stora Enso achieved a 53% reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 emissions from 2019, surpassing its target of a 50% reduction by 2030. It has also achieved a 39% decrease in Scope 3 emissions.

The company has a 24% share of women among all managers in the business and employees representing 80 different citizenships. It also owns forests in Sweden, so engages in ongoing dialogue with the local Sámi communities including discussions about forestry and reindeer herding.

6. UPM

EVP, Marketing, Sustainability and Communications: Saara Tahvanainen
Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Founded: 1996
Employees: 15,800

UPM aims to reach 40% female representation in professional and managerial roles and reduce its fossil CO₂ emissions by 65% from its on-site combustion and purchased energy compared to 2015. 

The UPM Forest Action programme aims to have a net positive impact on biodiversity through protecting valuable habitats in its owned forests, registering new species for Uruguay in its conservation areas, restoring peatland habitats and increasing protected areas to cover more of its owned and leased land.

5. Ball Corporation

Chief Sustainability Officer: Ramon Arratia
Headquarters: Colorado, US
Founded: 1880
Employees: 16,000

Ball is increasing the recycled material content in its aluminium cans to 85% by 2030 alongside reducing its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 55%. 

Daniel Fisher, Ball Corporation’s CEO, says: “The impact of the packaging pollution crisis is growing every day. At Ball, we are committed to doing what we can to move toward a truly circular economy where materials can be – and actually are – used again and again.

“Our environment and the future of our planet depend on it.”

4. Crown Holdings

VP Global Sustainability & External Affairs: Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle
Headquarters: Florida, US
Founded: 1892
Employees: 23,000

Crown’s Twentyby30 programme contains 20 measurable goals to be achieved by the end of 2030 across topics like reducing the impact of climate change, using natural resources efficiently and supporting circularity. 

“We have a big challenge regarding climate change, biodiversity loss and waste in general in our societies and we need to tackle that,” says Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, VP Global Sustainability & External Affairs. “As a producer of packaging, we have a chance to have a material that is circular in itself by design.”

3. Amcor

Chief Sustainability Officer: David Clark
Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
Founded: 1896
Employees: 77,000

In its decarbonisation roadmap, Amcor sets out how it aims to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2050, including using renewable electricity, incorporating post-consumer mechanically recycled materials in packaging and redesigning products to lower carbon footprints. 

Bali, Indonesia is one location where Amcor is taking action on circularity. With its partners, US$8m has been pledged over five years to advance circularity initiatives including waste sorting practices.

2. Tetra Pak

EVP Sustainability: Lars Holmquist
Headquarters: Pully, Switzerland
Founded: 1951
Employees: 24,000

“As a company we want to drive the transformation of global food systems, ensuring people have access to safe food everywhere, with all the other benefits that come with that, while protecting people and the planet,” says Tetra Pak President & CEO Adolfo Orive in its 2024 Sustainability Report. 

“It is only through collaboration with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, combined with the passion and dedication of our teams, that we can take these steps forward, to create solutions for the challenges society faces.”

Tetra Pak has achieved an 87% employee engagement score and a 25% reduction in total value chain greenhouse gas emissions since 2019.

It has delivered 11 billion plant-based packages and 12.3 billion plant-based caps, resulting in 47 kilotonnes of CO₂ saved compared to fossil based polymers. Tetra Pak has also engaged with 215 recyclers globally and invested €42m (US$49m) to support the collection, sorting and recycling of its packages.

1. Smurfit Westrock

Chief Sustainability Officer: Garrett Quinn
Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
Founded: 1934
Employees: 100,000

Since the merger of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock in July 2024, the company has created a new Net Zero Transition Plan to improve its impacts on the planet. This includes moving to low or zero carbon fuels, research into new and emerging technologies like hydrogen and engagement with both customers and suppliers. In November 2024, Smurfit Westrock issued US$2bn of green bonds supported by its Green Finance Framework. 

Costco and its suppliers have eliminated more than 180 tonnes of single-use plastic through its partnership with Smurfit Westrock, replacing some plastic packaging with paper-based alternatives. Liberty Coca-Cola has also benefitted from its solutions, eliminating around 200,000 lbs of single-use plastic from its yearly operations. 

Smurfit Westrock says that approximately 44% of fibre used in its products is from virgin materials sourced from responsibly managed forests. This involves protecting biodiversity and ecosystems while managing supplies of responsible, renewable fibre.