Polyethylene is one of the most widely used materials in the world, and the discarded plastic bag has become one of the most potent symbols of human impact on the environment. As worries over the vast scale of waste from this plastic has grown, so has the use of purportedly 'degradable' forms of it. However, the environmentally-friendly version of polyethylene might not be so friendly after all, according to a new report in Nature.

Packaging is a first and last potential means of communicating your brand’s efforts in sustainability, as consumers “meet” the product on shelves, and dispose of them at the product’s end of life. View this slideshow from The Hartman Group to understand how consumers understand sustainability and what they're looking for on your packaging.

Frito-Lay hopes to make some big noise in the US with a quieter version of its biodegradable SunChips bag.

Green. . .  The word itself may becoming a touch hackneyed, but interest in enviro-friendly packaging solutions is fresher than ever. Timeously coming to market in a joint venture that will open a myriad of new green packaging possibilities for local FMCG companies is Sappi Enviropack.