Implementing the Strategy

As a general rule, sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into existing business processes. However, new knowledge, skills, and tools, as well as refinements to existing processes, policies and procedures, are required. The business processes most significantly affected are: strategic and operational planning; marketing, communications and sales activities; product and packaging development; procurement and supply chain management; and process and environmental improvement. How evolved a business is, in sustainable development terms, determines its corporate sustainability goals and, in turn, how easy or difficult it is to accommodate and make changes. (For example, is it focused only on compliance, practicing ‘strategic pro-activity’ or aiming to be a ‘sustaining corporation’?) In this final chapter we outline how these business processes are involved in packaging for sustainability decisions and provide a framework for a packaging for sustainability action plan.