Let’s be honest about what’s happening around us. Sustainability in print and packaging isn’t the strong rallying cry it was three years ago. The urgency seems to have quieted, the Instagram posts have slowed, and if you’re a print business watching competitors dial back their green initiatives, you might be wondering: was it all just noise?
But the truth is that sustainability hasn’t become less important, it’s become less optional.
The shift we’re seeing is not a retreat, but a recalibration. What began as a marketing advantage is now solidifying into something far more concrete: a baseline requirement for doing business, backed by legislation that will reshape how the industry operates in the years ahead.
The economics are unavoidable
Research from PwC, Capgemini, and Euromonitor all point to the same commercial reality: consumers and brands are extremely price-sensitive right now. When trade-offs are required, affordability usually wins. This has pushed sustainability initiatives that increase short-term costs to the back of the queue, and suppliers are feeling the pressure to cut costs wherever they can.
So yes, in 2026, sustainability has slipped back to being a ‘nice to have’ for many businesses, but only until legislation demands it. And that’s exactly where things get interesting, because legislation is demanding it.
Increasingly and unavoidably. I’ve spent nearly 30 years working across every part of the packaging value chain, from product and sales management at Dow Chemical to marketing leadership at Sun Chemical and LINPAC, and now leading Think B2B Marketing. What I’m seeing now is different from anything we’ve experienced before as an industry. This isn’t another sustainability trend that will fade, it’s structural change.
The airline industry principle
Think of it this way: if you’re an airline, you can’t fly without your safety certification. It doesn’t matter how competitive your prices are or how efficient your operations may be. Without that certification, you’re not even at the table.
Sustainability credentials now work the same way in print and packaging. Major brand customers have strict supplier policies mandating environmental standards. The bottom line is that if you, as a supplier, are not up to scratch on environmental performance, you simply can’t trade with them. The door doesn’t open.
This isn’t about virtue signalling anymore, or getting a leg up on competitors in an annual ESG report. It’s about market access.
Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling
Where many print businesses are getting caught off guard is the assumption that if legislation doesn’t directly apply to them, they can afford to ignore it.
Commercial printers, for instance, might think they’re relatively protected, and technically, many are. But when your customers fall under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), they will expect data from you: energy use, emissions, materials, waste, certifications. You’re not legally obligated to report, but you are commercially obligated to provide answers.
Packaging companies face even sharper pressures. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) changes how packaging waste is funded. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will reshape design, material choices, recyclability, and labelling from August 2026 onwards, and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) demands strict traceability for fibre-based products.
These aren’t abstract or wishy-washy policy documents, they’re operational realities with real financial implications, and they overlap in ways that amplify complexity. For example, EPR affects cost and reporting, PPWR constrains design, EUDR impacts sourcing, and CSRD drives data expectations through the entire value chain. Together, they show a fundamental shift away from voluntary initiatives toward mandatory, evidence-based compliance.
For the packaging industry, which I love, but let’s be honest, has historically been slow to change, this is a trial by fire. And here’s what worries me: too many businesses are still waiting for clarity before they act. By the time everything is crystal clear, you’ll already be behind.
Sustainability as a cost-out strategy
However, with risk comes opportunity, and one that too many businesses are missing: the most resilient companies aren’t treating sustainability as a burden. They’re embedding it directly into cost reduction and efficiency drives.
Take a look at some of the major players in our field, and you’ll see it in action. Energy efficiency programs can lower operating expenses while cutting emissions. Waste reduction initiatives can save disposal costs and cut material spend. Lightweighting and material optimisation reduce freight and raw material costs. Supply chain resilience work protects against disruption while demonstrating environmental responsibility.
These aren’t trade-offs, but smarter business decisions that happen to deliver environmental benefits – a win-win. The print businesses that will flourish over coming years aren’t those shouting loudest about their green credentials.
They’re the ones integrating sustainable practices into the fundamentals of how they operate. Not because it’s virtuous or the right thing to do (though many of us argue that it is), but because it makes them more competitive, more efficient, and more prepared for what’s coming.
I often compare it to the way AI is being discussed right now. Everyone’s asking “should we invest in AI?” when the real question is “how do we integrate it strategically?“. Sustainability is the same. The question isn’t whether to do it, but how to make it work for your bottom line.
What this means for you
If you’re a commercial printer, don’t assume you’re exempt. Your customers are being held to account, and they will pass expectations down to you.
The best time to prepare was yesterday.
The second-best time is now.
Start capturing basic environmental data. And here’s a tip from someone who’s worked on every side of the desk in this industry: don’t wait until a customer asks for this information to start gathering it, build the systems now. I’ve seen too many businesses scrambling to pull together data they should have been collecting all along. Understand your fibre sourcing and Scope 3 emissions, for example. Be able to clearly and concisely explain your position when asked.
If you’re a packaging company, the regulatory environment is only going to tighten. Invest in understanding EPR, PPWR, and EUDR, not in isolation, but as interconnected requirements that will shape material choices, design decisions, and customer relationships. You’re going to need resources and potentially external support to navigate this.
For all print businesses: stop thinking about sustainability as separate from business strategy, because it isn’t. The companies recognising this early will find themselves at a very significant advantage when competitors realise, too late, that the game has changed.
What this means for you
As sustainability becomes mandatory, it becomes less of a differentiator or USP. When every print business can tick the boxes on FSC certification, energy efficiency, and waste reduction, how do you cut through the static?
This is where strategic communications become critical. When sustainability delivers less marketing punch on its own, your storytelling needs to be sharper, your messaging more focused, and your value proposition clear and precise. It’s no longer enough to say you’re sustainable and hope that does the job, you need to articulate exactly how your approach solves specific client challenges, reduces their risk, and enables their compliance.
At Think B2B Marketing, we work with print and packaging businesses around the world to translate complex sustainability credentials into compelling commercial narratives. In a market where compliance is mandatory and competition is fierce, the companies that excel are those that can communicate their value with clarity and impact.
Need help positioning your brand story for maximum commercial impact? Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help you stay ahead.
