Concerns about sustainable consumerism took a back seat in the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus crisis made hygiene the foremost consideration while shopping. With packaged goods in high demand, how can brands reassure people who want to avoid infection without it costing the earth?

As brands look to take eco-friendly products from niche to mainstream, subverting category stereotypes can be key to capturing wider audiences. Tapping into this is start-up Liquid Death, which has raised $9 million to expand its tongue-in-cheek canned water to include a sparkling version.

Media coverage of plastic waste has made the problem impossible to ignore, leading many Britons to seek ways of avoiding unnecessary packaging. With its 52% paperboard bottles, Just Water has emerged as a disruptive force in an industry under pressure to adopt sustainable practices.

The best sustainable intentions can be hampered by confusion when it comes to packaging and recycling. Addressing this challenge, a UK manufacturing company has released a recycled-paper wine bottle, with a carbon footprint six times lower than that of its glass alternative.