In today’s market, sustainability is no longer a differentiator – it’s an expectation. For businesses operating within the packaging and print industry, the pressure to demonstrate environmental responsibility is higher than ever. However, as consumer demand for sustainable products grows, so too does the risk of greenwashing – making misleading or exaggerated environmental claims that can damage both brand reputation and consumer trust.

To address this, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) introduced the Green Claims Code, a set of guidelines designed to ensure businesses make fair, transparent, and evidence-based environmental claims. For companies in the packaging and print sector, understanding and applying this code is critical to maintaining credibility in an increasingly sustainability-conscious marketplace.

What is the Green Claims Code?

The Green Claims Code provides six key principles to ensure environmental messaging is accurate, clear, and not misleading. These principles emphasise that claims must be:

• Truthful and accurate
• Clear and unambiguous
• Substantiated with credible evidence
• Fair and meaningful compared with other products or services
• Consider the full lifecycle of the product
• Presented in a way that does not omit or hide important information

Why It Matters for Packaging and Print

Packaging plays a frontline role in communicating a brand’s sustainability story. Terms such as “eco-friendly,” “biodegradable,” or “100% recyclable” are common but can easily fall into the greenwashing trap if they are vague, unqualified, or unproven. For example:

• Claiming packaging is recyclable, when only certain components are, can mislead consumers.
• Using generic sustainability icons without explanation can create confusion.
• Highlighting a single green attribute while ignoring negative environmental impacts elsewhere in the product lifecycle risks misrepresentation.

With regulators taking a tougher stance on false claims, non-compliance with the Green Claims Code not only jeopardises consumer trust but could also result in legal and financial repercussions.

Best Practices to Stay Compliant

To avoid greenwashing, businesses in the packaging and print industry should:

1. Invest in credible certifications – Use recognised third-party certifications (e.g., FSC, PEFC, or relevant recycling standards) to substantiate claims.
2. Be precise in language – Avoid vague terms and provide context (e.g., “This packaging is recyclable in 80% of UK kerbside collections”).
3. Consider the full lifecycle – Ensure claims take into account sourcing, production, distribution, and end-of-life disposal.
4. Train marketing and design teams – Equip staff with knowledge of the Green Claims Code to prevent inadvertent non-compliance.
5. Audit and review regularly – Regularly review packaging claims to ensure ongoing compliance as materials, regulations, and recycling infrastructures evolve.

Building Trust Through Transparency

Consumers increasingly value honesty and accountability. By adopting the Green Claims Code, businesses not only reduce the risk of regulatory action but also strengthen consumer loyalty and brand reputation. In the packaging and print sector, where sustainability claims are often the first message a consumer sees, clear and compliant communication is essential.

At Athena Executive Search, we understand the unique challenges faced by leaders in the packaging and print industry. As the sector evolves, the demand for forward-thinking professionals who can balance innovation, compliance, and sustainability will continue to grow. By embedding the Green Claims Code into business practices, companies can confidently communicate their green credentials while building trust and competitive advantage.

Are you looking to strengthen your leadership team with experts who can navigate the complexities of sustainability and compliance in packaging and print? Get in touch with Athena Executive Search today to find the talent who will help shape a greener, more transparent future for your business.

Email: enquiries@athena-executive.com

In the packaging and print industries, the twin challenges of sustainability and efficiency are paramount. Brands are under immense pressure to meet ambitious recyclability targets, while consumers are increasingly making choices based on environmental impact. Yet, a critical bottleneck has persisted: the accurate sorting of post-consumer waste at scale. How can a recycling facility instantly distinguish a PET yogurt pot from a PET fruit tray, or a food-grade HDPE bottle from a non-food-grade one?

The answer is emerging not from a loud, disruptive upheaval, but from a silent, intelligent revolution—one hidden in plain sight. Welcome to the world of digital watermarks and the pioneering HolyGrail 2.0 initiative.

The Problem: The Limitations of the Naked Eye

Traditional recycling facilities rely on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to identify and sort materials. While effective for broad polymer categories (e.g., PET, PP, PE), this technology is blind to crucial nuances. It cannot see:

• Food vs. non-food grade materials

• Multi-layer flexible packaging compositions

• Presence of barrier layers or specific additives
  This lack of granular data leads to cross-contamination, downcycling of valuable materials, and tonnes of packaging still ending up in landfill or incineration.

The Solution: A Digital Passport on Every Package

A digital watermark is a covert, code-like graphic the size of a postage stamp, integrated seamlessly into the packaging design or print artwork. To the human eye, it is imperceptible. To a high-resolution camera on a sorting line, it is a treasure trove of information.

Think of it as a digital passport for every package. This watermark can carry precise attributes such as:

• Manufacturer

• SKU/product type

• Packaging composition (all layers)

• Recommended end-of-life use (e.g., food-grade recycling stream)

The HolyGrail 2.0 project, spearheaded by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and powered by AIM – European Brands Association, has been the catalyst for this technology. It has moved digital watermarks from a promising concept to a proven, scalable solution through cross-industry collaboration involving major brand owners, retailers, and packaging converters.

How It Works: From Curation to Circulation

1. Tagging: Brand owners and converters add the digital watermark during the packaging design and printing process. Modern digital and flexo presses can print these codes with high precision without slowing production.

2. Collection: Consumers dispose of the packaging as usual into their recycling bins.

3. Detection: At the recycling facility, high-resolution cameras mounted on standard sorting lines scan the packaging as it moves along the conveyor belt.

4. Sorting: The camera detects and decodes the watermark in milliseconds. This data instructs air jets to precisely eject the package into its designated, hyper-specific stream (e.g., food-grade PP, clear PET).

5. Circulation: The result is purer, higher-quality recycling streams that can be “upcycled” into new, high-value applications, truly closing the loop.

The Ripple Effect Across the Packaging and Print Industry

The implications of this silent tech are profound:

• For Brand Owners & Retailers: It provides the tangible data needed to meet and report on ESG and EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) mandates. It transforms packaging from waste into a valuable feedstock, enhancing brand reputation and circularity credentials.

• For Packaging Converters & Printers: It represents a new value-add service. Expertise in seamlessly integrating digital watermarks into artwork and mastering the print process for optimal detection will become a significant competitive advantage.

• For Machinery Manufacturers: It opens a new market for advanced detection and sorting units, driving innovation in recycling infrastructure.

The Future is Coded

Digital watermarks are not a distant future concept; they are operational today. Major pilots across Europe have demonstrated sorting accuracy rates exceeding 90%, and large-scale commercial deployment is the next logical step.

The success of HolyGrail 2.0 proves that the industry’s greatest challenges are solved not in isolation, but through unprecedented collaboration. The companies that embrace this technology now will be the leaders of the new, truly circular economy.

Call to Action

The transition to intelligent, watermark-enabled packaging requires visionary leadership. Are you equipped with the right talent to navigate this shift?

At Athena Executive Search, we specialize in connecting leading packaging, print, and sustainable technology companies with the exceptional senior executives and technical experts who can turn innovation into commercial success.

Ready to future-proof your leadership team? Contact us to discuss your strategic hiring needs.

enquiries@athena-executive.com

The packaging and print industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Driven by global regulation, consumer awareness, and corporate responsibility, sustainability is no longer an optional extra—it is a fundamental expectation. For Technical Directors, this shift is redefining what it takes to succeed and lead in the sector.

From “Nice-to-Have” to “Non-Negotiable”

A decade ago, sustainability was often treated as a marketing advantage or CSR talking point. Today, it is a baseline requirement. Clients—whether multinational FMCG companies, retailers, or start-ups—are under immense pressure to reduce environmental impact across their supply chains. They are demanding packaging that is recyclable, made from renewable or responsibly sourced materials, and produced through processes that minimise carbon emissions.

This shift means packaging and print suppliers cannot simply “add on” sustainable practices. They must embed them deeply into their technical operations, processes, and innovations.

Why Technical Directors Are Central to This Change

Technical Directors are uniquely placed to bridge the gap between client expectations, regulatory frameworks, and operational capabilities. Their decisions shape everything from raw material choices to machinery investment, production efficiency, and end-of-life solutions.

Key areas where Technical Directors can make a measurable difference include:

• Material Innovation – Selecting sustainable substrates, inks, and coatings that perform without compromising recyclability.

• Process Efficiency – Reducing waste, water, and energy usage through leaner, smarter manufacturing.

• Compliance & Foresight – Staying ahead of evolving legislation, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and single-use plastic bans.

• Lifecycle Thinking – Designing with circularity in mind, ensuring packaging can be reused, recycled, or composted effectively.

Without technical leadership in these areas, companies risk falling behind competitors and losing contracts with clients who see sustainability as non-negotiable.

Standing Out as a Candidate in Today’s Market

For senior professionals, particularly Technical Directors, demonstrating sustainability expertise has become a differentiator. In fact, it can be the factor that secures a role in a competitive field.

Candidates who want to stand out should:

• Show measurable impact – Highlight projects where you reduced waste, improved recyclability, or cut energy usage, with tangible metrics.

• Demonstrate regulatory awareness – Showcase your understanding of current and upcoming environmental legislation.

• Champion innovation – Emphasise how you have driven or supported R&D in sustainable materials or technologies.

• Prove commercial value – Link sustainability achievements directly to client retention, new business wins, or cost savings.

Employers are not just looking for technical excellence—they want leaders who can position sustainability as a driver of both compliance and commercial growth.

The Bottom Line

For the packaging and print industry, sustainability is not a passing trend—it is the new standard. Technical Directors who can demonstrate deep expertise in this area will not only future-proof their organisations but also distinguish themselves as indispensable leaders in a sector under pressure to change.

In today’s market, the message is clear: sustainability is no longer a “want” from clients—it is a demand. And the leaders who can deliver on it will set themselves apart.

📩 If you’re a senior technical professional looking to strengthen your position in the packaging and print industry—or a business seeking leadership that can deliver on sustainability goals—get in touch with us at enquiries@athena-executive.com.