Responsible packaging

Packaging made responsibly

Every year, over 2 billion tonnes of waste are produced, and 8 million tonnes of plastic makes its way into our world’s oceans. We see a different way.

That’s why packaging has been one of our sustainable focal areas since the 1990s, and why we’ve had a packaging policy in place since 2013. Our goal is to maximize recyclability while minimizing the environmental impact of our packaging by using recycled materials and/or certified renewable materials from responsible sources. Our suppliers are required to adhere to the mandatory guidelines and obligations included in the Signify packaging requirements. Our policies and guidelines for sustainable performance focus on optimizing the environmental footprint in all phases of a product’s lifecycle, including using 80% recycled paper in our packaging design.

We’ve removed an average of 2,500 tonnes of plastic every year from our consumer packaging—the equivalent of 125 million half-liter PET bottles. Our packaging is also smaller, contributing to a reduction in CO₂ emissions of 6,000 tonnes per year.

Our journey toward responsible packaging

We started phasing out fossil-fuel based plastic from our consumer packaging in 2019. It’s been a challenging journey. Although we missed ambitions deadlines in 2021 and 2022, we developed alternative solutions, including using recycled paper-based materials or bio-based alternatives such as cotton and bamboo instead of plastic. We’ve now eliminated more than 99% of fossil-fuel based plastics from our consumer product packaging worldwide.

We’re proud of these results, but our journey toward responsible packaging isn’t over. We'll keep working with the industry to trace and remove all plastics, enhance the circularity of our products, and minimize their environmental footprint.

Signify supports the United Nations Strategic Development Goals

Our responsible packaging ambitions are guided by UN SDG 12 (responsible production and consumption).

Regulatory and industry requirements

Regulatory and industry requirements on substances used in packaging materials can be found in the Signify regulated substances list (RSL) and in our terms of reference for suppliers. All suppliers are required to comply with the RSL, sustainable packaging policy requirements, and all local and global regulations.

Signify regulated substances list

Signify packaging requirements

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Signify estimates are based on numerous sources, references, and data points

For more details about Signify’s commitments and results, read our annual report and sustainability supplements