Hundreds of private label SKUs. No packaging standards. No PPWR plan. Now they have both.
The Opportunity
A leading European retailer set an ambitious target: 100% sustainable packaging across its private label portfolio by 2030. But ambition alone was not enough. With PPWR, SUPD, and the Green Claims Directive all converging, the company faced a growing gap between its sustainability goals and its ability to execute them.
Internal teams lacked a structured framework for making packaging decisions. Product managers and buyers were evaluating materials on instinct, not against defined criteria. Suppliers received inconsistent guidance. And the regulatory timeline was not going to wait for alignment to happen organically.
The retailer needed two things: a strategy that could govern packaging decisions at scale, and practical guidelines that teams and suppliers could actually use.
The Solution
PSL delivered two connected workstreams.
The first was a brand-specific Packaging Strategy — a decision framework built around sustainability targets, regulatory obligations, and commercial realities. It included evaluation criteria for materials and formats, a cost-benefit methodology for packaging decisions, and a clear set of priorities sequenced against PPWR timelines.
The second was a set of Packaging Guidelines — a practical handbook designed for the people who make day-to-day packaging choices. Not a policy document for the sustainability team. A working tool for product management, procurement, and supplier coordination. Clear standards. Material preferences. Decision trees. Formatted to be used, not filed.
Both workstreams were built with PPWR recyclability, material reduction, and compliance requirements embedded from the start — so the guidelines would not need to be rewritten when regulation takes effect.
The Impact
The retailer now has a scalable packaging strategy designed to reach its 2030 sustainability target. Comprehensive guidelines support consistent decision-making across product categories and enable structured collaboration with suppliers.
Internal teams have been equipped with standards, templates, and strategic context — reducing dependency on external advice for routine packaging decisions. The framework positions the organisation to implement cost-effective, brand-consistent packaging solutions that meet legal requirements, environmental goals, and consumer expectations.
When the retailer needed to extend and refine the guidelines a year later, they returned to PSL — a second engagement that built on the original architecture with deeper PPWR integration, expanded decision trees, and dedicated guidelines for different product categories.