The social and environmental impacts of technology's rapid advancement are becoming more and more obvious. In spite of this, one of the first and, should I say, the most influential entities in technology, fought to usher the world in a new age of sustainability and circularity. 

Google, the technology behemoth that has always been associated with their innovation in technology is leading the fight. 

Google has made a daring announcement. They will no longer use plastic in the packaging of its consumer goods by 2025. It is a part of the company's commitment to sustainability and circularity, which also serve as a simbol of environmental and social optimism for the entire industry.

Having their proudly six-month earlier achievement,, the company will soon publish a 70-page handbook to show others how it was done.

To be sure, for a large tech company like Google, this war has never been easy.

Miquel Arevalo who is in charge of packaging innovation at Google, said that there are a lot of challenges when they were revamping their packaging. "We had to rethink everything from lamination and coatings to box assembly and labels," he said. "It was a complex process, but we were driven by our commitment to sustainability." [1].

Keep the new packaging's aesthetics in mind was one of the biggest consideration. LEad sustainability strategist at Google, David Bourne stated, "We didn't want to sacrifice our branding or the consumer experience." "We had to find a balance between sustainability and design." [1]. 

The solution lays on the regenerative materials paper and fiber. Google found their packaging issue solved in a paper and fiber-based material that not only minimized plastic waste but also met their aesthetic standards.

It solved the packing problems that had been facing the company.

1. Analyzing the potential effects on package reliability and durability of doing away with plastic shrinkwrap.
2. Recognizing the effects of "drop dynamics," or the behavior of an object when dropped, and making any necessary alterations to size or shape.
3. Putting Google's branding needs first when choosing new inks and coatings: Fifty solutions or more were examined. We wasted no time weeding out suppliers who were secretive about the damage they caused.
4. Innovative approaches to waterproofing and sealing the box, with the added goal of keeping it closed.
5. The ease of removal and dependability of closing labels.
6. Thinking about how potential replacements may affect the environment in the long run, especially with chemicals that may unintentionally increase emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Pixel 8, a smartphone introduced in October, was the initial offering to adopt the new approach.

[1] Clancy VP, H. (2024, May 28). Google wants to help other companies eliminate plastic from their packaging. GreenBiz.