If you’re in the field of packaging, chances are you’re also well versed in sustainability. You almost have to be because the two concerns conjoin these days more often than not. As we reviewed our best-read articles of the year, we realized that most articles we posted on PackagingDigest.com in 2019 at least touched on sustainability if not focused on it entirely. One of the reasons we prepare lists of the Top Articles of the Year by different topics is so one hot topic—like sustainability!—doesn’t dominate the others. Because it would. Nine of the 10 sustainable packaging articles on this 2019 list appear in the top 50 of all articles ever posted on PackagingDigest.com. So, what are these relevant and compelling articles?! As succinctly as possible (and in reverse order for the ultimate reveal!), they are: 10. Non-plastic packaging isn’t the only sustainable solution Plastic waste is becoming a more pressing concern for today’s consumers than it has ever been in the past. But, as sustainable packaging leaders, we have an obligation to help the public understand that there is more to sustainability than shifting away from plastics entirely. Sustainable Packaging Coalition senior manager Trina Matta has some recommendations on how brand owners can handle the situation.   9. How Nestlé is innovating its way to 100% recyclable or reusable packaging Walt Peterson, Nestlé USA’s manager of packaging innovation and sustainability, talks about the world’s largest food and beverage company’s ambitious goal of moving to 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. In this 28-minute presentation, hear how Nestlé is harnessing partnerships and cutting-edge technology to get there.   8. Marine pollution consumes plastic packaging’s sustainability story When it comes to plastics and sustainability, packaging professionals are hyper aware there is an attitude or perception problem—69% of respondents in Packaging Digest’s 2018 Sustainable Packaging Study feel a high level of environmental concern around plastic packaging. And much of that concern is centered around the visible and visceral problem of pollution in our oceans and waterways. What else do packaging professionals think about plastic packaging and its sustainability position? Download your free copy of this 48-page report by clicking the headline above. As a companion to this industry study, Packaging Digest also conducted a survey on plastic packaging sustainability with consumers. The interesting results include an analysis of the different viewpoints between packaging professionals and their customers. Click here to download your free copy.   7. Paper or plastic? 6 sustainable foodservice packaging options for both Consumers’ appetite for foodservice convenience at restaurants of all types—casual, quick-serve and takeaway—and for catering services continues. And Novolex product lines are seamlessly aligned with the ongoing foodservice packaging shift toward sustainable solutions. Here are six notable examples.   6. Remedies for single-use plastic packaging Does cold and flu season inevitably generate packaging waste? Consumer brands can step up to treat people and planet, as TerraCycle and Loop CEO Tom Szaky enlightens us. A new example is the RB Health & Nutrition Recycling Program, a national network for health-and-wellness package recovery.   5. Top sustainable companies by state Rankings always gain attention—you’re reading this “Top 10” article, right?! This infographic identifies the top sustainable companies from each state and includes many that are familiar to you as either brands or packaging vendors.   4. Packaging peers react to Loop’s daring reusable-packaging model Spoiler Alert: You’ll hear more about Loop as you continue through this list. When it was announced in January 2019, Loop—a circular economy shopping platform with durable reusable and luxury packaging at its core—gained massive media attention from around the globe, including numerous packaging and sustainability publications, as well as Forbes, Bloomberg, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, BBC News, Reuters, Le HuffPost, Fortune and many more. So what do packaging professionals think about this ground-breaking Loop initiative? Reactions were mostly positive, but there are, uh, concerns as well.   3. Amazon chooses refillable packaging for clean revolution A sustainable-packaging collaboration between Amazon and Replenish has borne fruit in the form of Amazon’s Clean Revolution cleaning products. Amazon uses the new Replenish 3.0 packaging design for its Clean Revolution line, with Replenish acting as a private-label supplier.   2. Amazon incentivizes brands to create frustration-free packaging When we published this article in September 2018, we knew it was going to be the top article of last year. And it was. Interest in ecommerce packaging remains high, though. So this article experienced high readership well into 2019—enough, in fact, to be the second best-read sustainable packaging related article of this year. Here’s what the hub-bub is all about… To help reduce packaging waste and improve efficiency of ecommerce shipping for its vendors, Amazon requires that select products being sold and fulfilled by Amazon arrive in its fulfillment centers in certified packaging under its Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) program. This means that the packaging does not require any shipping preparation or an overbox to be applied. On the positive side for marketers, the vendor retains its own branding on the shipment. But now you might have to create a separate/special package for products sold through Amazon.com or face a stiff penalty.   1. Loop and big brands boldly reinvent waste-free packaging At the time we reported on the new Loop circular-economy shopping platform—which is totally based on reusable packaging—I knew it was going to be the top packaging news of the year. Not only is this the best-read article posted in 2019, but it also appears as the top article in our list of packaging design-related articles because design and sustainability are integral to the success of this new venture. It really belongs on both lists! Major brand owners—like Nestle, Coca-Cola, Mars, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble—have created luxury packages for their regular products for sale in select areas of the world.