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Smart-weighting can minimize packaging while maintaining its functionality and user convenience. It involves reducing the thickness of packaging or the amount of material used while ensuring the package is still recyclable. Smart-weighting, also referred to as light-weighting, has been practiced since the 1990s and is the most common strategy deployed by water bottlers (1,8).

Key benefits:

• can be achieved when decreasing the unit weight of packaging by reducing packaging and transportation costs (8) and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, since the early 2000s, the average weight of a half-liter water bottle has been halved (1).
• Smart-weighting can reduce up to 30% of packaging without impacting recyclability. For example, ALPLA measured a 29% material reduction by light-weighting milk bottles while WRAP reports a 30% material reduction of stretch film used following simple modifications to existing equipment (15).
• Innovative technologies and materials can allow smart-weight packaging. For example, alternative thermoforming methods (e.g., plug assist or explosive forming) can optimize the material flow in the forming dye, allowing for up to 20% thinner films, while lower density foamed materials such as APET film weigh about 25% less than compacted films (12).

Key watch-outs:

• Thinner material does not necessarily mean reduced environmental impact. In particular, consideration should be given to the compatibility of smart-weighted packaging with recycling systems since some ultra-lightweight packaging may be so thin that material recovery facilities can no longer sort them, negatively impacting their recyclability. Companies are urged to work with industry experts to better understand the limits of light weight packaging during sorting for recycling.
• Following recyclability guidelines (e.g., bottle color, label, glue, or ink components) are key to achieving barrier properties, product protection (e.g., rigidity, suitability for transport), and functionality (e.g., allowing for labelling) with materials of reduced thickness (1,12).

• Bottles and trays often present a good opportunity to smart-weight.
• Wrapping thickness can sometimes be reduced.
• Pouches can be smart-weighted by reducing the amount of material used.

Initial guidance on applicability of this solution per plastic type: