Russell Granville: Research and Development Fellow at Amcor Flexibles

With decades of experience in the flexibles industry, Russell is a devoted leader of green plastic transformation, implementing circular economy solutions in the FMCG industry. He has learned the value of collaboration for sustainable progress.

The Importance of Sustainable Packaging

Sustainable packaging plays a crucial role in reducing environmental impact while meeting consumer needs. With more than 30 years in the industry, Russell brings deep insights into both the challenges facing packaging and the creative interventions that are being applied in solving sustainability issues. As a key contributor to Amcor’s research and development, Russell underlines the need for collaboration across the supply chain, pointing at the importance of cooperation between suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers to stimulate positive changes. Navigating complex regulatory landscapes, Russell advocates for solutions that are both economically viable and environmentally responsible.

Russell believes that transparency, consumer involvement, and technological innovations are the foundations of developing appropriate packaging solutions. He is confident that by fostering a collective mindset, the industry will be successful in addressing the urgent issues of plastic waste and resource scarcity, ultimately moving towards a more sustainable future.

Russell began his career at ICI, where he developed a specialism in high-performance films, used in electronics and the military. His interest in packaging was consolidated when he shifted his focus to biodegradable plastics, contributing to some of the earliest formulations designed to decompose into carbon dioxide and water. This experience ignited his interest in sustainable packaging and set the course for his career. After roles at ICI and Zeneca, Russell joined Amcor, where he has been dedicated to advancing and creating better packaging solutions. Amcor is as an industry leader, with a workforce of over 75,000 and 400 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Emphasizing Collaboration

For Russell, collaboration is at the heart of sustainable progress, emphasising that cooperation with stakeholders across the supply chain is central to the realisation of a circular economy; if one link of the chain fails, the whole system is impacted due to its interconnected nature. Russell contends that all stakeholders in the packaging ecosystem should cooperate and complement their goals through open communications and joint initiatives, as this will ensure environmental and on-scale results. His expertise on recyclability and food labelling has been pivotal to his work as a member of the OPRL Technical Advisory Committee.

The Role of Futures

Russell emphasises the importance of the Futures & Foresight perspective for packaging strategies and innovations. Through understanding potential constraints, the process is useful in pushing the boundaries of the status quo, inspiring innovation and preparing for market disruptions. Shifting consumer preferences, technological advances and regulatory changes can render some products obsolete, Russell warns, and he asks businesses: “How would you react when the current product line can no longer be maintained?” Russell highlights the need for companies to anticipate rather than simply react to market changes. He sees the role of Futures as an integral part of strategic planning, which will lead to increased resilience, responsiveness and sustainable leadership.

Achieving Sustainability Goals

In 2018, Amcor made a significant commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. Progress has been made, but challenges remain—over 95% has recyclable solutions validated , but cost increases limit the roll out as its cheaper to pay taxes than to conform. Russell highlights the limited and costly supply of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials as a major barrier, a systemic obstacle that no company alone can solve. He also points out that the UK’s tax on single-use packaging has not been a strong enough incentive: “The tax is more cost-effective to most businesses than green solutions, thus the reason why most companies prefer to pay the tax instead of investing in a sustainable option.” Stronger incentives from government and a more supportive economic climate, he argues, are essential for accelerating the adoption of recycled content.

Recycling Innovations

Integrating Futures into strategic planning is a helpful approach for companies to anticipate emerging developments, adapt their vision, and innovate. For sustainability pioneers like Amcor, such techniques enable them to meet the future demands while maintaining their commitment to environmental responsibility. Russell highlights Amcor’s investment in advanced recycling, including the creation of the Amcor Circular Polymers plant following the acquisition of Berry Global. This facility has pioneered techniques to transform contaminated polypropylene into high-quality, food-grade materials, already reprocessing 40% of the UK’s rigid polypropylene. Innovations such as this help to lay the path to a sustainable future. However, Russell stresses the need for profitability; without economic viability, recycling initiatives cannot scale. Aligning sustainability with profitability, he believes, is key to building a circular economy.

Consumer and Communication Engagement

Communication is a key to developing trust with consumers and the stakeholders regarding sustainability efforts. Amcor publishes annual sustainability reports and seeks third-party verification, such as from the Carbon Trust, to avoid greenwashing and provide reliable carbon footprint data. Russell says that this approach “can enable us to measure our impact on the environment and show how sustainability committed we are”, explains Russell. These initiatives not only strengthen credibility but also empower consumers to make informed choices, reinforcing Amcor’s reputation as a responsible leader in sustainable packaging.

Overcoming Challenges in Sustainability

Notwithstanding major progress that Amcor has made in providing sustainable solutions, challenges remain. Russell notes regulatory inconsistencies across countries. Packaging considered recyclable in one market may not be in another. For example, nylon-containing meat packaging is recyclable in Germany but not in the UK. He argues that uniformity in international standards are essential to enable innovation and ensure wider adoption of sustainable packaging solutions.

The Future of Packaging

Despite criticism of plastics, Russell remains optimistic about the future of plastics, hoping that consumer perceptions will evolve with more sustainable packaging options appearing on the market and growing understanding that when used responsibly, can reduce food waste and support sustainability goals.

Ultimately, the cost parity with conventional packaging will likely play a deciding role in persuading companies to make a lasting investment in technologies and products and by balancing economic and environmental imperatives, the industry can achieve innovation that benefits both consumers and the planet.

Conclusion

Russell Granville’s career and insights highlight the opportunities and challenges of advancing sustainability in packaging. He emphasises that the cross-industry collaboration, open communications, transparency and the tools of Futures & Foresight empower leaders like him to push for sustainable innovations in packaging.