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Read insights from Henrik Olsen, Head, Global Packaging Innovation at Novonesis, on translating sustainability goals into practical packaging solutions, from reducing material use and assessing alternatives to designing for circularity and scaling innovation across global operations.
Join Henrik and his colleague, Jesper Deela Nielsen, at the European Packaging Summit, 27–28 October in Düsseldorf, to gain insights as they share further perspectives on balancing sustainability, product protection, commercial aspects, technical performance, regulatory requirements, and operational realities.
Could you begin with a brief introduction about yourself, and an overview of your responsibilities as Head, Global Packaging Innovation at Novonesis?
I am Head of Global Packaging Innovation at Novonesis, where I lead packaging innovation and strategy across a global portfolio of BioSolutions. My team is responsible for developing packaging solutions that balance sustainability ambitions, regulatory requirements, product protection, technical performance, and operational scalability.
We work closely with stakeholders across R&D, procurement, quality, manufacturing, and regulatory functions to enable practical and future-ready packaging solutions.
When reducing packaging material use, how do you balance sustainability goals with product protection, functionality, and technical performance?
Product protection always comes first. The most sustainable package is not sustainable if it compromises product quality or leads to waste.
Our approach is therefore to optimize packaging by understanding the true performance requirements and identifying opportunities to reduce material use without negatively impacting protection, safety, functionality, or operational robustness.
How do you evaluate alternative packaging materials when considering recyclability, resource use, and overall environmental impact?
We evaluate alternative materials through a holistic lens. Recyclability is important, but it is only one aspect.
We also consider resource consumption, product protection performance, manufacturability, supply chain implications, regulatory requirements, and scalability. The goal is to understand the overall environmental and operational impact before making decisions.
What are some of the biggest technical or operational trade-offs that arise when trying to introduce more sustainable packaging solutions?
Packaging design decisions involve competing priorities. Depending on the application, trade-offs can emerge between sustainability ambitions and performance requirements, between global standardization and local optimization, or between innovation progress and operational constraints.
Understanding the critical requirements that packaging must fulfil helps create transparency around these trade-offs and supports more balanced decision-making. The biggest mistake is often optimizing one area while unintentionally creating challenges elsewhere in the value chain.
How early in the development process should end-of-life considerations and circularity be built into packaging design?
As early as possible. Decisions made during the concept and design phases have a significant impact on the packaging's end-of-life performance.
Considering recyclability, material choices, and circularity principles from the start creates more opportunities to develop solutions that are both effective and sustainable.
What are the biggest challenges in taking a sustainable packaging concept from an initial idea to a solution that can be scaled across global operations?
Scaling is often more challenging than ideation. A solution may perform well in a pilot environment but still face obstacles related to supply availability, manufacturing capabilities, regulatory requirements, regional infrastructure, or cost competitiveness. Successful scaling requires alignment across the value chain and a focus on practical implementation from the beginning.
"Successful scaling requires alignment across the value chain and a focus on practical implementation from the beginning."
How important is collaboration across R&D, procurement, suppliers, and other functions in accelerating the transition toward more sustainable packaging?
It is essential. Sustainable packaging challenges are rarely solved within a single function. Progress comes from bringing together expertise from R&D, procurement, quality, manufacturing, regulatory specialists, suppliers, commercial teams, and customers.
Understanding how new solutions fit existing manufacturing processes and customer requirements is often just as important as the technical packaging solution itself. Collaboration helps identify better solutions, accelerate implementation, and ensure that sustainability improvements remain technically and commercially viable
Which aspect of the European Packaging Summit are you most looking forward to?
I am particularly looking forward to exchanging perspectives with peers across the packaging industry. The sector is facing significant transformation driven by sustainability ambitions, regulatory developments, and evolving market expectations.
Events like the European Packaging Summit provide a valuable opportunity to learn from others, share experiences, and discuss practical pathways forward.
Our thanks to Henrik Olsen, Head, Global Packaging Innovation at Novonesis, for sharing insights into advancing more sustainable packaging, from reducing material use and evaluating alternative materials to designing for circularity and scaling solutions across global operations.
We invite you to join us at the European Packaging Summit to hear the full session, discover fresh perspectives from leading packaging minds, and connect with the people shaping more practical, scalable, and sustainable packaging solutions.
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