Eco-design is used as a tool in the product and service sectors with the aim to increase sustainability and reduce negative environmental impact on the product design stage. When analyzing available information on eco-design methodologies from the point of view of applicability to the packaging, it often becomes unclear which method should be preferred and would best suit the specific application. This paper explains the main principles of eco-design and sustainable application advantages and aims to show the benefits of applying eco-design strategies and methodologies into the development of sustainable packaging. The highlighted differences between the design methods, available tools and their features helps with finding the most suitable specific sustainable packaging design application.

Packaging waste that is not recycled or reused has a negative environmental effects and presents serious concern. At the same time, various secondary raw materials, which were used to produce packaging from recycled materials, can affect human health and the environment because they can contain harmful chemical substances. For this reason, it is necessary to investigate the existence of hazardous chemicals in recycled materials. This paper analyzes issues related to the production of packaging by using materials from recycled packaging waste with a focus on the influence of the hazardous substances that the waste may contain. This paper presents the results of a survey interviewing packaging manufacturers who use recycled materials in packaging, revealing problems that packaging manufacturers face in the manufacturing of packaging from recycled materials.

Packaging waste that is not recycled or reused has a negative environmental effect and presents serious concern. At the same time, various materials, which were used to manufacture packaging, could be used as resources for production of new packaging or other products. For these reasons, legislation is tightening up with waste management objectives becoming more stringent in order to reduce the volume of not recycled, reused or recovered waste and encourage implementation of circular economy concept and use of materials based on the closed-loop principle. This paper analyses issues related to production of packaging by using materials from recycled packaging waste with the focus on the influence of hazardous substances the waste may contain, and considers potential problems in the context of implementation of circular economy principles according to the latest EU legislation.