Selling green concepts

Our approach of designing for brands in a sustainable way is based on both commercial and environmental sustainability. Brands must first and foremost satisfy real consumer wants and needs to justify their existence, yet must also generate profit for the businesses that produce and sell them.

Coalescing the objectives

Consumers’ purchasing decisions are neither entirely rational nor emotional - they are an amalgam of both. The most relevant triggers to generate consumer appeal vary between different product categories and from one brand to the next. Even the most seemingly rational purchases are at least tinged with emotional factors. Why would a completely functional product like a drain unblocker be more appealing because it comes in a bottle shaped like the drain pipe under a sink? In fact, this is because it provides a clear and unequivocal dramatisation of the product purpose, instantly reassuring the consumer that the product really will do the job.

As designers, we must appeal to both consumers’ emotional desires and rational needs, yet must also determine the methods by which the brand offering can be made more sustainable.

’Covert/overt’ sustainability

Much has been spoken about ‘covert’ and ‘overt’ sustainability. The spate of light-weighted glass bottles fall into the former category, whilst ‘360 Vodka’ stakes an overt claim to being all about sustainability.

At Design Bridge we take a slightly different approach, one that aims to attract a greater number of consumers, changing attitudes in a more positive manner. Our approach is to recognise the ‘selfish gene’ - self-interest is, after all, the strongest motivation behind most actions. We attempt to design a brand’s physical manifestation in such a way that sustainability is a by-product of the fresh and appealing consumer benefits that we have created.

For example, when we designed new contact lens packaging for Bausch and Lomb, we didn’t set out to design something that could preach sustainability and risk being accused of ‘green-washing’. Instead, we designed a pack founded on real consumer insights, delivering greater convenience, such as ‘pocket friendliness’ and easier opening. An outcome of these features is a pack that has reduced the amount of packaging by 40 per cent, when compared with its predecessor. Furthermore, reducing the pack size by 65 per cent also facilitates more efficient transportation, thereby reducing energy consumption.

Sustainable, yet attractive

Another example of this approach is our prototype design for Easter egg packaging (WRAP-sponsored Easter egg project). Whilst achieving a 50 per cent reduction in material content, the design actually emphasises on-shelf presentation. In fact, the pack has product visibility as its main attribute, providing a backdrop for effective graphic branding. The pack also encompasses the needs of the supply chain as stackability is maintained, thereby negating the requirement for added transit packaging. The product inside is adequately protected, minimising the food waste that results from product damage. The solution cleverly applies the properties of thermoformed PET (which can potentially incorporate recycled content) to hold and display the product; and of board (widely recycled), providing branding and product information, together with imparting structural integrity to the pack. These two parts combine to perform a multitude of tasks, when compared with other Easter egg packs, where each component is used to perform a separate task. This has resulted in a considerable reduction in material content.

This form of multi-tasking for pack components was the philosophy behind another prototype design, where the goal was to reduce food waste for such sliced delicatessen products as ham and cheese. We designed some simple features in the base tray so that the consumer could fold the pack in half once opened, forming a sort of ‘purse’. This keeps the product covered, maintaining its aesthetics for an extended period. The integral reseal feature makes the pack easier to store in the fridge, retaining its visibility. The food is consequently more likely to be consumed before it eventually becomes inedible.

No room for reusability

If the importance of providing the consumer with the justification for selecting a sustainable alternative rooted in self-interest is not obvious, then the modest uptake of most reusable packaging is sufficient proof. What is the incentive to mess about refilling something when the extra effort needed results in a pack that offers no tangible advantages over the single-use versions? Clearly consumers are happy to refill or reuse something where the practical benefits transcend the environmental rationale. The success of such commodities as power mops or power-operated toothbrushes demonstrate that consumers are willing to pay more. They fulfil real, previously unsatisfied requirements using methods that are also financially beneficial.

Educating the consumer

Regarding overt sustainability, we feel that because the most effective forms of communication operate at a subliminal level, the environmental benefits of a product or pack are best expressed when they are self-evident from their physical design rather than through literal communication on pack. However, there is a role for more explicit messaging - especially in the case of providing clear, concise information about disposal and recycling.

Use of recycled material content may be motivating for some and certainly demonstrates the value of recycling in the first place. Indicating the material type (especially with regard to plastics or composites) will assist consumers in their efforts to recycle (WRAP/BRC recycling labelling). However, implicit forms of communication may prove to be more effective, even in this situation, when compared to explicit messaging which can be so readily overlooked on an overcrowded label. We believe that pack shape and tactility can be harnessed to signal different materials - the difference between a biopolymer (that is not collected for recycling in the UK) and, for example, a more widely collected material, such as PET.

Concluding remarks

The most successful way to achieve sustainable brand design is to acknowledge the fundamentals of human nature. There is a considerable difference between what people say they’ll do and what they actually do - mostly driven by self-interest. Taking this more realistic position leads to a more positive engagement with consumers, where sustainability can come as a by-product of an improved brand experience, rather than detracting from it.