Sustainable packaging for supplements is gaining momentum

Sustainability was at the center of numerous educational sessions and heated discussions at SupplySide West last month in Las Vegas, and packaging was an especially hot topic.

The supplement industry produces billions of plastic bottles each year, the vast majority of which end up in landfills. And both governments and consumers are eager to find a better way — and reward brands that are pursuing more sustainable practices.

At the educational session, “Unwrapping sustainability: Mastering eco-friendly packaging,” one brand’s founder detailed how they fought lack of information and industry resistance to create a 100% compostable, sustainable bottle.

Here’s what experts say all supplement brands should know about sustainable packaging in 2024.

Supplement industry creates immense plastic waste

When she started the “climate-conscious vitamin” brand Terraseed in 2020, Maria Cebrian said basic information about the environmental impact of the supplement industry was hard to find. So, she and her team commissioned research themselves, and just a few of the eye-popping stats they encountered included:

- 2.3 billion: the number of plastic bottles produced by the supplement industry each year.

- Less than 30%: the amount of that plastic that gets recycled.

- 3%: The amount of that plastic that ends up in the ocean.

This definitely isn’t just a problem facing the dietary supplement industry, of course. But state and federal governments in Europe, California and elsewhere are setting ambitious plastic-reduction targets that will affect supplements just as much as other industries.

A 2022 New Hope NEXT Data & Insights survey showed that packaging matters to consumers, too. “Responsible packaging” rose to be the No. 2 eco-priority for shoppers on social media, behind only the interrelated “Environmentally responsible sourcing.”

Cebrian and other brands at SupplySide West see the writing on the wall.

“It's not just about doing the right thing for the planet, although that has been my main motivation,” she said. “It’s also because in the next 5-10 years, we’re going to be forced as an industry to commit to sustainability whether we want to or not. This is already happening.”

The functional downside is less than you think

When Cebrian announced she was planning on not using plastic or glass in her packaging, she dropped a few jaws.

“Everyone was saying, ‘You’ll never make it happen,’” she recalled. “Machines are automated for plastic bottles. Your shelf life will be ruined.”

The second of those concerns turned out to be simpler to solve than expected. Terraseed opted for using cellulose tubes, which are made of beechwood fiber.

“You can get these everywhere now,” Cebrian said. “And they work amazingly well.”

Along with plant-based clay desiccants and compostable glue security seals, she said the brand has achieved a shelf life of 36 months.

The company had to create its own system to pack the pills, but even with this extra complication, Cebrian said the total increase in packaging cost is only 8%. And each package also contains educational materials for customers, printed on seed paper that will sprout flowers when planted.

What is sustainable packaging worth to consumers?

At the Sustainability Zone on the show floor at SupplySide West, attendants could see case studies like Terraseed’s. Others in the supplement packaging space included:

Heis Global: Plant-based compostable nutraceutical bottles derived from sugarcane.

Ultisama Supplements: 100% recyclable aluminum bottles shipped in recycled cardboard.

RTCO Packaging: Biodegradable polymer capsule bottles.

Condensa: High-efficiency monoblock aluminum bottles without adhesives.

Numerous studies have shown that consumers are theoretically willing to pay more for such sustainably packaged goods. And Cebrian said sustainable packaging brought “the opportunity of moving your price into a premium package.”

When launching Terraseed, Cebrian’s team paid for an extensive survey to determine exactly what sustainability was “worth” to supplement customers. Their answer: For a $30 multivitamin, the average “acceptable price” was $34 — a difference that more than makes up the 8% increase in packaging cost. Terraseed used this information to set the price for its Complete Multivitamin for Vegans.

Start where you’re at now

Making the switch from a more traditional system to fully sustainable, compostable packaging is daunting to say the least, but it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing transition. Cebrian advised these four big steps for brands looking to make meaningful progress in sustainability:

- Audit your current packaging and “packaging life cycle.”

- Set specific sustainability goals.

- Collaborate and converse with suppliers.

- Educate consumers whenever possible.

Customer outreach is crucial, Cebrian said, because many consumers are quite interested in sustainable packaging. They just didn’t realize it was possible.

“There are a lot of customers out there who have been waiting for more sustainable solutions,” she said.