ICA

How can we create the best conditions for a sustainable system; where packaging is used as an asset to achieve more sustainable products?

ICA plans on reaching at least net-zero emissions by 2030 and therefore continues to have ambitious and responsible climate targets based on leading climate research and the Paris Agreement. In recent years, ICA has put big efforts to the plastic problem and adopted a plastic strategy where single-use plastics are phased out, plastic consumer packaging is made recyclable and produced using renewable or recycled sources. In parallell, ICA has now developed a strategic framework for sustainable packaging and we have been supporting this work. This strategy aims to give a holistic picture of how to deal with sustainable packaging within ICA in the short and long term – For a good tomorrow.

Through successful collaborations across organisations, and with an overview of the entire product portfolio, this strategy has been formed as a backbone for product development. There are many opportunities in the development work, where decisions need to be made related to packaging type, material choices or distributors and this guide is formed to give a holistic view of everything from food waste and shelf-life, to light weighting, usability and on-pack communication. It helps guiding through different parameters that a development team needs to navigate between, thus helping us ask the right questions.

This packaging strategy is first and foremost a handbook to enable internal responsibility and decision making, with the aim of simplifying a complex matter. It should also inspire external stakeholders, bringing the industry together for a genuine and in-depth environmental work. In the long run, this strategy should enable both the store and the conscious consumer to make good choices, along with a sense of collective contribution.