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Behavioral Design and Sustainability: Facilitating the Adoption of Circular and Regenerative Packaging

The effectiveness of circular and regenerative solutions depends less on technical innovation than on how consumers perceive, understand, and adopt these innovations.

Editorial Note

This article is the third in the “Positive Impact by Design” series, exploring how products, packaging, and processes can drive regenerative value.

Following discussions on sustainable materials and circularity, this piece focuses on behavioral design as a catalyst for adoption, setting the stage for our next exploration of communication, storytelling, and culture as drivers of transformative habits.

1. Introduction

Picture a busy parent at a grocery store, hesitating over a “compostable” coffee pod, unsure if it goes in the green bin or the trash.

This moment of doubt reveals a critical barrier: even the most advanced packaging fails if it confuses or overwhelms.

In recent decades, technical advances in sustainability, circularity, and regeneration have reshaped packaging design.

Low-impact materials, reuse models, and design for recycling are now staples for brands like Unilever and startups like Notpla.

In 2025, with the European Union mandating 65% recycling rates for packaging and 75% of consumers prioritizing sustainability (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2025), the stakes are higher than ever.

Yet, an inconvenient truth persists: the most innovative packaging fails if it is misunderstood, misused, or discarded incorrectly.

The next leap in sustainability is not just technical—it is behavioral.

This article expands on prior discussions about materials and economic models, proposing a framework for leveraging behavioral design to drive the adoption of circular and regenerative packaging, laying the foundation for packaging as a cultural and communicative tool, as explored in our next article.

2. The Importance of Behavioral Design

Behavioral design is the art and science of shaping choices to guide human decisions. In sustainability, it bridges the gap between intention and action.

A 2024 study by the OECD found that while 82% of consumers intend to adopt sustainable practices, only 28% do so consistently due to cognitive overload, habits, or lack of clear cues.

Packaging that anticipates these barriers—guiding, simplifying, and motivating—creates far greater impact than those that passively "hope to be used correctly."

3. When Technology Fails Without Adoption

Even environmentally superior solutions can falter without behavioral support:

• Poorly discarded compostables: Biodegradable packaging, like PLA-based cups, is often thrown into general waste, landing in landfills where it fails to decompose (EPA, 2024).
• Low refill adherence: Refill systems, such as Loop’s reusable containers, see 55% dropout rates due to logistical inconvenience (Loop, 2025).
• Conceptual confusion: Terms like "biodegradable," "compostable," and "recyclable" are misunderstood by 68% of consumers, leading to disposal errors (YouGov, 2024).

These failures highlight the need for designs that not only perform technically but also resonate culturally, as discussed in our upcoming article on storytelling and communication.

Without behavioral design, even the best-intentioned solutions lose effectiveness.

4. Principles of Design for Sustainable Adoption

To transform ecological intent into action, we propose the CIRCLE framework (Clarity, Intuition, Reward, Connection, Logistics, Engagement), a structured approach to designing packaging that drives sustainable behavior.

The principles are summarized below:

These principles not only drive behavior but also set the stage for packaging to communicate deeper meanings, as explored in our next article.

The CIRCLE framework is visualized in the infographic below, offering a practical guide for designers to create packaging that drives sustainable behavior.

5. From Engineering to Culture: Packaging that Educates and Engages

Sustainable packaging can do more than minimize environmental impact—it can educate, inspire, and drive cultural change.

For example, Unilever’s “Refill Revolution” campaign used QR codes on shampoo bottles to guide users to nearby refill stations, increasing participation by 40% in pilot programs (Unilever, 2025).

Such designs teach (e.g., clear disposal instructions), remind (e.g., prompts on bins), and motivate (e.g., storytelling about material lifecycles).

When designed with behavior in mind, packaging becomes a catalyst for social good, paving the way for the communicative and cultural roles discussed in our series’ next installment.

6. Recommendations for Brands and Designers

To integrate behavioral design effectively, brands and designers can follow this practical checklist:

1. Map Behavioral Barriers: Identify why consumers misuse or avoid sustainable packaging (e.g., confusion, inconvenience).
2. Incorporate Behavioral Psychology: Use nudging techniques, like default options or visual cues, in design briefs.
3. Test with Real Users: Prototype in real-world contexts to uncover friction points.
4. Use Universal Communication: Employ accessible language and globally recognized symbols (e.g., Mobius loop for recycling).Integrate Storytelling: Embed brand values and lifecycle narratives into packaging (e.g., “This bottle supports reforestation”), aligning with the storytelling focus of our next article
5. Measure Behavior: Track adoption rates and disposal accuracy, not just environmental metrics.

For instance, Coca-Cola’s “Return to Recycle” campaign used vibrant labels and gamified incentives, boosting bottle returns by 25% in Europe (Coca-Cola, 2024).

These strategies prepare packaging to serve as a communicative platform, as explored in our upcoming article.

7. Conclusion

What if packaging didn’t just hold products but reshaped our relationship with the planet? Redesigning materials is vital, but redesigning habits is transformative.

The CIRCLE framework, backed by real-world examples like Unilever and Coca-Cola, shows how behavioral design turns intent into action.

This approach lays the groundwork for packaging to become a storytelling medium—one that educates, inspires, and regenerates, as our next article in the “Positive Impact by Design” series will explore.

The next frontier of sustainability belongs to those who understand people, contexts, and daily decisions.

By integrating engineering, design, and behavior, packaging can do more than protect—it can educate, engage, and return value to the world.

References:

• Coca-Cola. (2024). *Return to Recycle Campaign Report 2024*. Available at: https://www.coca-cola.com
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2025). *Circular Economy for Packaging: 2025 Progress Report*. Available at: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
• EPA. (2024). *Municipal Solid Waste Management Report 2024*. Available at: https://www.epa.gov
• Loop. (2025). *Reusable Packaging Adoption Insights*. Available at: https://www.loop.global
• OECD. (2024). *Behavioral Insights for Sustainable Packaging: Consumer Adoption Challenges*. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/publications/behavioural-insights
• Unilever. (2025). *Refill Revolution: Sustainability Impact Report 2025*. Available at: https://www.unilever.com
• YouGov. (2024). *Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Packaging Terms*. Available at: https://www.yougov.com
• Wendel, S. (2013). *Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics*. O'Reilly Media.