Small changes in packaging can add up. As we look for ways to reduce the environmental impact of our products, we consider not only how much packaging we use, but also what it is made from and what happens to it after use.
For selected products of our SanTRAL Plus brand manufactured in Germany, we replaced a virgin-plastic polybag with lightweight tissue paper made from 100% recycled fibre. Both packaging options weigh approximately 15 g, allowing us to move away from virgin fossil-based material without adding packaging weight.
Lower emissions from the start
To understand the impact of the change, we compared the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing the two packaging alternatives. Using established European and German life-cycle data, we estimate that manufacturing the former virgin-LDPE polybag generated approximately 37 g CO₂e per packaged product, including production of the plastic resin and its conversion into film (Plastics Europe, 2026; Icha & Lauf, 2026; Zeilerbauer et al., 2024). Using lightweight recycled tissue paper is estimated to reduce packaging-manufacturing emissions by approximately 67%, from about 37 g to 12 g CO₂e per product. This avoids approximately 25 g CO₂e per product. At scale, this reduction is equivalent to approximately 2.5 tonnes of CO₂e avoided for every 100,000 products packaged.
A different end-of-life pathway
The packaging change also affects what happens after the material reaches the customer. Germany has established systems for recovering both paper and plastic packaging, although recycling outcomes differ considerably by material category. In 2023, approximately 86.6% of paper and cardboard packaging reached the final recycling process, compared with 52.2% of plastic packaging (Cayé et al., 2026).
Packaging that is not recycled may instead be used for energy recovery. When fossil-based plastics such as polyethylene are incinerated, they release fossil carbon, even when some of the resulting energy is recovered as electricity or heat. Paper follows a different carbon cycle because the carbon contained in its fibres originates from biomass (Bulach et al., 2022; Cayé et al., 2026). Together, these differences illustrate how material choice can influence environmental impacts beyond manufacturing. End-of-life outcomes vary according to collection and separation practices, sorting and recycling efficiency, treatment routes, and the recovery of materials and energy.
Small change, measurable progress
The measurable reduction in packaging-manufacturing emissions demonstrates how a relatively small material change can deliver a meaningful environmental benefit. More broadly, this example shows how material selection, recycled content, lightweight design, and consideration of what happens after use can work together to reduce environmental impacts. By looking at these factors across the packaging life cycle, we can continue to identify practical opportunities to use fewer virgin resources and lower emissions while continuing to provide the protection and performance our products require.
Sources:
Bulach, W., Dehoust, G., Mayer, F., & Möck, A. (2022, April 24). Ökobilanz zu den Leistungen der dualen Systeme im Bereich des Verpackungsrecyclings. Öko-Institut e.V. https://www.oeko.de/fileadmin/oekodoc/Duale_Systeme_Oekobilanz_Endbericht.pdf
Cayé, N., Größl, B., Müller, S., Nguyen, U., & Schüler, K. (2026, April). Aufkommen und Verwertung von Verpackungsabfällen in Deutschland im Jahr 2023 (Texte 66/2026). Umweltbundesamt. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/aufkommen-verwertung-von-verpackungsabfallen-in
Icha, P., & Lauf, T. (2026, March). Entwicklung der spezifischen Treibhausgas-Emissionen des deutschen Strommix in den Jahren 1990–2025 (Climate Change 16/2026). Umweltbundesamt. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/entwicklung-der-spezifischen-treibhausgas-0
Plastics Europe. (2026, January). Eco-profile of polyolefins: High density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP).
Wellenreuther, F., Krüger, M., Busch, M., & Detzel, A. (2022, November). Aktualisierte Ökobilanz von Grafik- und Hygienepapier (Texte 123/2022). Umweltbundesamt. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/aktualisierte-oekobilanz-von-grafik-hygienepapier
Zeilerbauer, L., Fischer, J., Fazeni, K., Mager, M., Lindorfer, J., & Paulik, C. (2024). Life cycle assessment of mechanical recycling of low-density polyethylene into film products—Towards the need for life cycle thinking in product design. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 209, Article 107807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107807
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