Best Zero-Waste Packaging Solutions Adopted by Global Brands

Global brands are reinventing packaging to eliminate waste and cut emissions. This overview spotlights label-free, mono-material bottles; fiber-based boxes; mycelium and seaweed alternatives; and reusable, returnable systems at retail. It explains how right-sizing, plastic-free cushioning, and “ship-in-product” logistics reduce materials while maintaining protection. You’ll get practical takeaways, what to eliminate first, how to simplify for real-world recycling, and where reuse or compostables make sense, so teams can pilot changes, measure impact, and scale credible zero-waste solutions globally.

If there’s one place where brands can slash waste fast and be seen doing it, it’s the box, bottle, or bag your product arrives in. From label-free bottles to mushroom “foam,” global leaders are rethinking materials, formats, and systems to keep packaging in circulation or out of the bin entirely. Here’s a crisp tour of the most effective zero-waste moves you can borrow now.

1) Remove what you don’t need: label-free & mono-material designs

Evian’s label-free bottle engraves branding directly into the PET wall, eliminating the plastic label and simplifying recycling. The bottle itself is made from 100% recycled PET (rPET), designed to be recyclable again, part of Evian’s push to become fully circular. In the U.S., as of May 2024, all newly manufactured Evian bottles are made from 100% rPET (caps excluded), an important milestone for high-volume beverage packaging.

Carlsberg Snap Pack bonds cans with tiny glue dots, no plastic rings. Depending on what it replaces, the system has cut secondary plastic by ~50–76%, and Carlsberg has since removed even the carry handle, targeting >20 tonnes of plastic eliminated by June 2025 in the UK. The broader lesson: cut components before you switch materials. 

2) Switch to fiber at scale

Apple’s packaging is now overwhelmingly fiber-based. Its 2024 Environmental Progress Report confirmed fall Apple Watch packaging is 100% fiber-based and the company remains on track to eliminate plastics in packaging by 2025. Product environmental reports for 2024 iPhone models likewise note 100% fiber-based packaging, underscoring how design, adhesives and inks were re-engineered to avoid plastic films. 

IKEA is phasing out consumer-facing plastic packaging entirely, first for new products by 2025 and across its running range by 2028, while continually swapping plastic components (like fitting bags) for paper-based alternatives. That single change is expected to cut 1,400 tons of virgin plastic per year. 

3) Replace fossil plastics with bio-based, compostable formats

Seaweed-based food packaging from Notpla has moved from pilot to real-world rollouts with partners like Just Eat Takeaway, stadiums, and catering groups. A third-party reviewed LCA finds up to 79% lower embodied CO₂e versus polypropylene takeaway boxes (and 39% lower than PLA-lined kraft). Millions of seaweed-coated containers have already gone out to customers across Europe. 

Mycelium (mushroom) packaging grows in days, yields protective cushioning, and home-composts in weeks. Dell was an early mover, using mycelium cushions for servers over a decade ago and suppliers like Ecovative now offer industrialized platforms that compost at home in ~45 days. For fragile goods (electronics, glass), this is a credible foam replacement that leaves no plastic behind. 

4) Design for reuse and return

Loop by TerraCycle keeps everyday products in branded, refillable containers that shoppers borrow and return. After some early closures (Tesco’s UK trial ended in 2022), Loop has found traction in France and Japan, with 250+ retail locations across multiple chains adopting reuse aisles and SKUs from major FMCG brands. Reuse needs retailer integration and local logistics, but when those are in place, return rates and unit economics improve.

Starbucks has pushed reusables from “bring-your-own” to borrow-a-cup systems, and since January 2024 U.S. customers can use personal cups for drive-thru and mobile orders, a crucial convenience unlock. The company continues to pilot borrow-and-return in multiple markets to reduce single-use cup waste. 

Lush’s Bring It Back scheme flips post-consumer plastic into a loyalty mechanic: return five qualifying empties, get a free fresh face mask or $1 credit per returned package. Turning take-back into a customer reward drives high return rates and closed-loop resin streams.

5) Ship smarter: right-sized, curbside-recyclable, packaging-free

Amazon is aggressively cutting both material and over-boxing. Since 2015, it reports 4.2 million metric tons of packaging avoided, with 12% of global orders in 2024 shipped without any added Amazon packaging. The company has eliminated plastic air pillows across fulfillment centers (replaced with recycled-content paper fill) and expanded “Ships in Product Packaging,” where manufacturer packaging goes straight to the consumer. These are textbook examples of waste prevention at scale. 6) Make recyclability real, not theoretical

Mono-material choices (e.g., label-free rPET bottles, fiber-only mailers) reduce separation steps and contamination. Clear consumer cues, like on-pack engraving and QR instructions, help systems actually recover the material.

Meanwhile, some beverage giants are recalibrating legacy targets on recycled content and reuse. In 2024–2025, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo updated or dropped specific reuse goals, drawing criticism from NGOs and investors and highlighting how hard it is to scale reusables without aligned policy and retail infrastructure. The strategic takeaway for brands: if you set bold targets, pair them with retail partnerships and real return logistics or risk backpedaling. 

What “zero-waste” looks like in practice

Eliminate → Simplify → Circulate. The best programs tackle packaging waste in this order:

1. Eliminate components: Engraved branding (Evian), glue-bonded multipacks (Carlsberg), or shipping in the brand’s own box (Amazon) remove materials outright. Fewer parts = fewer failure points at end-of-life.
2. Simplify materials: Fiber-only or mono-polymer packs (Apple’s fiber systems; rPET bottles) make recycling realistic in current MRFs.
3. Circulate with reuse or composting: Borrow-and-return (Starbucks, Loop) keeps containers in play; compostables (Notpla, mycelium) fit food-soiled use cases where recycling fails. Match the format to the waste stream you actually have.

Implementation playbook for brands

• Start with a “packaging waste map.” Identify which SKUs/regions generate the most packaging mass, damage claims, or disposal issues. Prioritize those for elimination or simplification pilots.
• Run LCAs before switching. Not all “green” materials reduce impacts in your geography. Notpla’s LCA-verified CO₂e reductions, for example, demonstrate clear climate benefits for takeaway formats; do the same diligence for your categories. 
• Pilot one change per SKU. E.g., go label-free on a single bottle size; replace the air pillows in one DC; or convert one DTC box to fiber-only. Measure: (a) packaging mass, (b) damage rate, (c) recyclability/return rate, (d) cost-to-serve.
• Build the return rail. Reuse succeeds when return is as convenient as purchase. Starbucks’ drive-thru acceptance and Loop’s retailer drop-off are the right patterns. Incentives (credits, rewards, deposits) close the loop.
• Communicate the “why” on-pack. Engraving, icons, and QR “how-to-recycle” instructions reduce wish-cycling and contamination. Evian’s label-free bottle is a design-led education moment.

The view: what to copy now

• For beverages: Trial a label-free, mono-material bottle or migrate SKUs to 100% rPET where supply allows; explore returnables in markets with retailer partners ready to handle deposits. 
• For e-commerce: Expand “ship in product packaging,” convert void-fill to recycled paper, and right-size with machine-learning fit systems. These are quick wins that scale. 
• For foodservice & QSR: Pilot borrow-and-return cups/containers or certified compostables for the messy use cases. Stadiums and food courts are ideal for contained trials.
• For electronics & fragile goods: Test mycelium cushioning as a drop-in foam alternative. Proven in heavy electronics, it’s protective, brand-worthy, and truly compostable. 

Zero-waste packaging isn’t a single material swap; it’s a design system plus logistics. The companies winning today are the ones removing components first, simplifying what remains into curbside-recyclable forms, and circulating containers through credible return or compost pathways. Do those three things well, and your packaging turns from a cost center into a brand asset, one customers (and regulators) will reward.

For questions or comments write to contactus@bostonbrandmedia.com