AWEN Consulting

AWEN Consulting AWEN: Your Pathway to Sustainable Packaging

Moulded pulp has spent too long hidden behind functional, brown, basic packaging, but that is changing, and luxury brand...
26/05/2026

Moulded pulp has spent too long hidden behind functional, brown, basic packaging, but that is changing, and luxury brands are leading the shift.

From champagne to refillable skincare and perfume, the best packaging designers are now using moulded pulp as a deliberate design choice, not just protection.

The material quality and finish have caught up to what luxury consumers actually expect when they unbox.

If your brand is still reaching for plastic trays or foam inserts, the case for switching has never been stronger, on sustainability and aesthetic grounds.

Have you noticed the rise of moulded fibre packaging in your shopping time too?

Imagine you have a tea brand and your tea box is made with blended tea leaves.Or a coffee brand using paper made with re...
21/05/2026

Imagine you have a tea brand and your tea box is made with blended tea leaves.
Or a coffee brand using paper made with recovered coffee grounds.
Or a fashion brand using recycled cotton fibres directly in the packaging itself.

How powerful would it be to tell your product story through the packaging material, before a single word is even printed?

There’s a growing trend of paper makers blending virgin fibre with agricultural and post-consumer waste streams like tea leaves, coffee grounds, grass fibres and recycled cotton.

And this is not just experimental material innovation anymore. These papers are commercially viable for leaflets, boxes, cartons and wrapping applications.

Some sheets contain the equivalent of 6 recycled milk cartons or paper cups, plus recovered waste fibres that would otherwise be discarded.

What excites me most is that the sustainability message becomes physically embedded into the packaging itself. The material texture, colour and visible fibres already communicate the brand story naturally.

This is closed-loop recycling with real commercial and environmental benefits.
That’s a rare combination.

Swipe to see some examples.

Helping brands like District navigate the challenges with packaging compliance locally and globally is exactly what we'r...
19/05/2026

Helping brands like District navigate the challenges with packaging compliance locally and globally is exactly what we're here for at AWEN Packaging Consulting.
Grateful for the kind words.
Does this sound familiar? Book a discovery call with us: link in bio

One of the strongest takeaways from the Live conference was that sustainability is no longer being framed only as clim...
14/05/2026

One of the strongest takeaways from the Live conference was that sustainability is no longer being framed only as climate action, but as business resilience, energy security and future competitiveness.

🔋 The message was clear: transitioning to renewable energy is no longer optional, it is strategic.

“A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”

🌏 A particularly powerful perspective came from Indigenous voices: we need clean water, fresh air and nutritious food for future generations just as much as past generations did.

🌿 I found it really interesting how nature-based conversations connect much more deeply with communities. People understand nature because it is part of their everyday lives. Talking only about “climate change” can sometimes feel too distant, but talking about water, food, land and air makes the impacts real.

🚛⚡IKEA shared a great case study showing how early investments in solar, wind and EV delivery fleets made the business more resilient today, especially with rising diesel costs. One detail that stood out to me: their CEO Mirja Viinanen is also the Chief Sustainability Officer, embedding sustainability directly into business strategy.

🔮 EY presented its AMAZING interactive “Four Futures” experience, exploring four possible pathways for 2055: Business as Usual, Transform, Collapse and Constrain. The scenarios showed how today’s decisions around climate, energy, regulation and resource use could radically shape future societies and economies. I highly recommend everyone experience it.

📈 The recurring message throughout the conference was simple: sustainability done early is good for business.

🚆 And finally, as Jesper Brodin, Senior Advisor from IKEA, said:
“This journey is like being on a train, it’s bumpy, but it’s better than being left at the station.”

Next copy out this TOMORROW! Want packaging updates that actually make sense? No jargon, no spam, just a monthly email w...
12/05/2026

Next copy out this TOMORROW!

Want packaging updates that actually make sense? No jargon, no spam, just a monthly email with what’s changing, what’s working, and what you need to know to stay ahead.

Sign up to Unpacked by Renata via the link in Bio 🔗

From plastic foam to fully paper-based packaging.A guitar brand approached us after WA’s single-use plastic bans and the...
11/05/2026

From plastic foam to fully paper-based packaging.

A guitar brand approached us after WA’s single-use plastic bans and the UK Plastic Packaging Tax turned their existing packaging into a regulatory and commercial risk.

The challenge was far from simple.

Their guitars come in 41 different shapes and sizes, making traditional moulded fibre packaging almost impossible to standardise. On top of that, the neck of the guitar requires dedicated structural support, otherwise damage during transport is almost guaranteed.

Their existing packaging relied on EPS, EPE foam and plastic bubble wrap. Effective for protection, but no longer viable for key markets.

To develop a tailored solution, AWEN Packaging Consulting worked together with Pacard Group, packaging supplier, to design a high-performance, fully recyclable packaging system using adjustable corrugated and kraft paper components that could adapt across multiple guitar shapes while still protecting the instrument properly.

The final packaging is:
• Fully paper-based
• Kerbside recyclable
• Compliant with WA regulations
• Suitable for the UK market without triggering Plastic Packaging Tax
• Only around AUD $0.40 more per unit on products worth hundreds to thousands of dollars

This is what I keep telling brands: sustainable packaging is no longer just an environmental conversation. In many cases, it is becoming a market access requirement.

If your packaging still relies on EPS or EPE foam, now is the time to review it before compliance becomes a barrier to selling your products.

🔗Read the full case study via link in bio!.

Excited to be part of the judging panel for the Tracker Impact Awards 2026 as an independent judge for the 2nd time. Th...
07/05/2026

Excited to be part of the judging panel for the Tracker Impact Awards 2026 as an independent judge for the 2nd time.
The awards assess genuine sustainability progress across product design, transparency, innovation, and more, all of which are things I care deeply about.

Nominations close 13 May.
Worth entering if you're doing the work.

A new report has just confirmed what many of us in the industry already knew. Australia's plastic recycling system is no...
05/05/2026

A new report has just confirmed what many of us in the industry already knew. Australia's plastic recycling system is not working. 🚨

Rennie, ACOR and APCO's Securing Australia's Plastic Recycling Future lays out the reality. Australia uses around 1.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year. Most of it ends up in landfill.

Not because recycling infrastructure does not exist. But because imported virgin plastic is often cheaper than domestically recycled plastic. So sadly, the economics are winning the majority of the time.

Without policy change, plastic waste is projected to reach 4.9 million tonnes a year by 2050. Environmental costs would exceed $32 billion.

The report points to Extended Producer Responsibility as the most effective solution. Under EPR, brands and retailers contribute financially to recycling through fees linked to recyclability and recycled content fo their products.

Read more and find the report via the link in our bio

A new report has just confirmed what many of us in the industry already knew. Australia's plastic recycling system is no...
04/05/2026

A new report has just confirmed what many of us in the industry already knew. Australia's plastic recycling system is not working. 🚨

Rennie, ACOR and APCO's Securing Australia's Plastic Recycling Future lays out the reality. Australia uses around 1.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year. Most of it ends up in landfill.

Not because recycling infrastructure does not exist. But because imported virgin plastic is often cheaper than domestically recycled plastic. So sadly, the economics are winning the majority of the time.

Without policy change, plastic waste is projected to reach 4.9 million tonnes a year by 2050. Environmental costs would exceed $32 billion.

The report points to Extended Producer Responsibility as the most effective solution. Under EPR, brands and retailers contribute financially to recycling through fees linked to recyclability and recycled content of their products.

Read more and find the report via the link in our bio

04/05/2026

I found my favourite Swiss chocolate here in China.

But to my surprise, it was packed completely differently.

It was 20°C and raining — no real risk of melting.
Still, it came with an ice pack… and two plastic bags.

What stood out wasn’t just the overpackaging, but the fact that the brand adapted to local expectations of “good service”, where more packaging signals care and quality.

And that’s the real challenge.

Packaging doesn’t just follow design guidelines; it follows behaviour.
Across markets, those behaviours change.

Because if your sustainability strategy changes at the point of sale…
Is it really a strategy, or just a guideline?

Global brand, local behaviour, and sustainability are often the first to give.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation just released a report on paper-based flexible packaging. It is worth reading. 📄Small-for...
30/04/2026

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation just released a report on paper-based flexible packaging. It is worth reading. 📄

Small-format plastic flexibles like sachets, wrappers and pouches are among the biggest contributors to plastic pollution globally. They are small, have low material value and are rarely collected, especially in countries where waste collection systems are weak.

The report explores whether paper-based alternatives could help address this problem.

The answer is nuanced. Paper can be recyclable or biodegradable, which matters if packaging ends up leaking into the environment. Plastic can remain for over 400 years. Paper does not.

But switching materials alone will not solve the problem. It needs to be part of a broader circular economy strategy.

There is no silver bullet. The right material depends on your product, your supply chain and where your packaging is likely to end up.

Read more of my thoughts in this blog and find the full report: link in bio

Address

Sydney, NSW
2037

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when AWEN Consulting posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share