An Exploratory Study on Sustainable Packaging: A Case Study from a Sri Lanka Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Company.

Abstract

This research focuses on the applicability of low investment approaches to implement sustainability into a supply chain of a local FMCG company. This specifically focuses on the implementation of sustainability principals in the secondary packaging process. The suggested options for adopting low investment sustainability principles were driven by the concepts reduce, redesign, reuse, and standardization. This phase was followed by detailed calculations to estimate the financial and non-financial benefits of the proposed options. The findings of this research suggest that the proposed changes to secondary packaging can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the day-to-day operations of the company yet involves a significantly low initial investment. The suggested changes (R-R-R-S framework) therefore empirically justify the possibility of implementing sustainability principles at a low initial investment. The proposed changes are estimated to reduce the operational cost and thereby improve profitability and competitiveness in a high price sensitive market. In addition, the proposed changes are estimated to significantly reduce CO2emissions, resulting in improved environmental impact and possible advancement in company’s reputation as a corporate citizen. Considering the limited research attention received for the applicability of low investment sustainable principles, the findings of this study make a significant contribution to theory and practice.