Prevention policies addressing packaging and packaging waste: Some emerging trends

• Packaging waste is a major issue in several countries.
• A growing attention is devoted to prevention measures and interventions.
• We map the emerging phenomenon of prevention policies in the packaging sector.
• 11 countries/states (7 in and 4 outside Europe) are selected and analyzed.
• Three trends emerge: LCA adoption; final consumer awareness; collaborative efforts.

Packaging waste is a major issue in several countries. Representing in industrialized countries around 30–35% of municipal solid waste yearly generated, this waste stream has steadily grown over the years even if, especially in Europe, specific recycling and recovery targets have been fixed. Therefore, an increasing attention starts to be devoted to prevention measures and interventions. Filling a gap in the current literature, this explorative paper is a first attempt to map the increasingly important phenomenon of prevention policies in the packaging sector. Through a theoretical sampling, 11 countries/states (7 in and 4 outside Europe) have been selected and analyzed by gathering and studying primary and secondary data. Results show evidence of three specific trends in packaging waste prevention policies: fostering the adoption of measures directed at improving packaging design and production through an extensive use of the life cycle assessment; raising the awareness of final consumers by increasing the accountability of firms; promoting collaborative efforts along the packaging supply chains.