永續卡關？

在德州奧斯汀舉行的 The Packaging Conference 上，「包裝永續是否失敗」意外成為多場論壇穿插討論的焦點。會議開場不久，投資銀行 Perella Weinberg Partners 高級顧問 Tim Burns 直言：「我們談永續、談回收、談堆肥，但結論是——我們正在失敗。」

Sustainability emerged as a contentious theme at The Packaging Conference in Austin, Texas, after Tim Burns, senior advisor at Perella Weinberg Partners, declared during an early session: “We’ve been talking sustainability, recycling and composting. The bottom line is: We’re failing.”

Burns 在一場關於包裝產業併購（M&A）的專題中指出，永續議題已深刻影響材料選擇與供應鏈策略，並與企業盈餘與估值產生連動。他的批評主要針對塑膠包裝的終端管理（end-of-life management），強調歐美地區的回收率長期落後。

Speaking during a session on mergers and acquisitions in the packaging industry, Burns linked sustainability strategies to material selection, sourcing decisions, earnings performance and company valuations. His criticism focused primarily on end-of-life management for plastic packaging, highlighting lagging collection rates in both Europe and the United States.

日本模式成對照組

Burns 特別提到日本作為「輸家中的贏家」。他指出，日本的回收率未必顯著高於歐美，但其回收系統聚焦於具經濟價值且可在既有系統中有效處理的材料，並且不排斥焚化處理。Burns 認為，包括芝加哥、紐約、洛杉磯與休士頓在內的美國大城市，應借鏡東京的系統設計。

他坦言，目前難以看見產業能迅速脫離「失敗」狀態，並認為永續議題恐將長期停留在政策與實務之間的拉鋸。

Japan as a Comparative Model

Burns pointed to Japan as a relative success story, arguing that while its overall recovery rates may not be dramatically higher, the country focuses on economically viable materials and integrates incineration within its waste management system. He suggested that major U.S. cities could draw lessons from Tokyo’s approach.

產業觀點：不是終結，而是轉型

不過，多位與會企業高層並不同意「永續失敗論」。Crown Holdings 全球永續與外部事務副總裁 Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle 表示，雖然在回收率、碳足跡與能源效率方面仍有不足，但產業確實在推進目標，例如 Crown 的「Twentyby30」計畫目前進度符合預期。

Sonoco 全球永續副總裁 Scott Byrne 則指出，2018 年大量企業提出自願性永續承諾，2023 年中部分企業發現 2025 年目標難以達成，促使策略重整。過去 18 個月，產業正從「自願宣示」轉向「強制合規」時代，尤其隨著延伸生產者責任（EPR）法規推進，包裝永續已進入更具體且可量化的監管框架。

However, other conference speakers pushed back against the characterization of sustainability as failing.

Transition from Voluntary Commitments to Compliance

Executives from Crown Holdings and Sonoco emphasized that the industry is in transition rather than decline. Many companies introduced voluntary sustainability targets around 2018, only to reassess them in 2023 when some 2025 goals appeared unattainable. Over the past 18 months, strategies have shifted toward regulatory compliance, particularly in response to extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws.

從目標導向轉向成果導向

律師事務所 DLA Piper 律師 Jesse Medlong 表示，產業正從「設定理想目標」轉向「驗證實際成果」。討論焦點不再是希望多少回收含量或可回收性，而是實際回收量與真正回到產品中的再生材料比例。

這種轉向意味著包裝永續正從灰色地帶的敘事與行銷主張，進入更具法規約束與績效審核的階段。

材料轉移與成本現實

Industry experts noted that packaging sustainability is moving from aspirational targets to measurable outcomes. The focus is increasingly on verified recycling rates and actual recycled content in products rather than broad claims.

Cost and Innovation Remain Central

Burns 對塑膠材料仍持批判立場，指出不少企業正轉向纖維或金屬等被認為永續性較佳的基材。不過，同屬 Perella Weinberg Partners 的董事總經理 David Ambrose 指出，材料選擇最終仍將回歸成本結構——企業會在符合法規與永續要求下，選擇最具經濟性的替代方案。

Material shifts away from plastics toward fiber and metal are influenced not only by sustainability perceptions but also by cost considerations. Ultimately, companies are likely to adopt the most economical alternatives that meet regulatory and sustainability requirements.

此外，生質材料創新仍在推進，包括玉米澱粉、真菌與甲殼素等替代石化塑膠的材料持續發展。Medlong 表示，塑膠創新尚未終結，只是進入新的競爭階段。

At the same time, innovation in plastics continues, including the development of biobased alternatives such as corn starch, fungi-derived materials and chitin from shrimp shells.

整體而言，包裝永續並未消失，而是從「承諾驅動」走向「合規驅動」，從「敘事導向」走向「成果驗證」。產業的挑戰不在於理念，而在於能否在成本、法規與材料創新之間取得可持續的平衡。

In sum, packaging sustainability is not disappearing but evolving - from voluntary pledges to compliance-driven frameworks, and from narrative-based positioning to performance-based accountability. The industry’s challenge lies in balancing cost competitiveness, regulatory pressure and material innovation in a more rigorous sustainability landscape.