Mastering Minimalism: The art of doing more with less

Why packaging minimization is becoming a bigger business issue

The pressure to use less packaging material is coming from several directions. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduces new requirements to minimize packaging weight and volume, while Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes increasingly tie packaging choices to producer costs. Together, they are making packaging weight a strategic and financial issue, not just a design one.

Consumers are asking for less, too. Among US consumers, “minimal packaging” is the packaging feature most valued in sustainable brands[1]. In Europe, “unnecessary packaging” is the second most common packaging-related reason consumers switch brands[2].

As industry expert Paul Jenkins puts it, the business case for lightweighting is becoming hard to ignore:
– Less material is now directly linked to lower costs, better transport efficiency, regulatory compliance, and stronger competitiveness. Overpackaging is becoming a thing of the past. The reduction race is on.

Making every gram work harder: lightweighting without compromising performance

So, the benefits of using less packaging are clear. But simply removing material and calling it a day will not work. Effective lightweighting means reducing material while maintaining the protection and functionality the packaging needs to deliver. The less material you use, the more every gram needs to perform. As packaging gets lighter, strength and material performance become even more critical. Push reduction too far and the savings can quickly disappear. Product damage, food waste, or packaging that fails in transit can create greater environmental and financial impacts than the material saved.

That makes finding the right balance essential – and that’s where material performance comes in. As Mikael Nygårds, packaging expert at Billerud, explains:
– Higher-performing materials can enable lower overall material use without compromising protection or functionality. Even if the cost per ton is higher, the total packaging solution can still be more efficient, lower-impact, and commercially viable.

Finding those opportunities takes more than shaving off a few grams. It requires understanding how material properties, packaging design, converting, logistics, and product protection work together. The goal is not simply less packaging. It is more performance from every gram.

What this means for packaging professionals

• Adopt a “right material, right amount” mindset. Focus on using the optimal material and amount needed to deliver performance across the value chain.
• Design for system performance. Optimize across the full value chain, from transport to protection, and avoid shifting risk or waste elsewhere.
• Turn reduction into value. Clearly communicate packaging reductions and the benefits behind them to help guide consumers, strengthen brand trust, and make sustainability efforts more visible.

Billerud helps converters and brand owners reduce packaging weight without compromising performance. By combining high-performance materials such as containerboard, cartonboard and sack paper with packaging expertise, we help customers use less material while keeping packaging strong, protective, efficient, and fit for purpose.