Innovating in Design and Packaging: Implications for the Environment

In recent years we are facing a growing attention paid by governments, organizations and companies on environmental issues. Academics have studied the role of different marketing innovations in leading to positive consequences for the environment. Among the four, innovation in product design and packaging has been regarded by the marketing literature as the starting point for many companies which intend to follow a path towards sustainability in their innovation activities. However, little is known on the specific EBs that could be achieved by the product design and packaging innovation. In this respect, the present study aims to shed light on the environmental contribution driven by innovation in product design and packaging in achieving environmental benefits, through an empirical analysis of the latest available Community Innovation Survey in Portugal related to the period 2012–2014. We run four logistic regression models on manufacturing companies where environmental benefits are a function of innovation in product design and marketing. Results show that the introduction of a product design and packaging marketing innovation yields environmental benefits, specifically, product recycling benefits and extended product life. Companies are called to consider introducing a product design and packaging innovation as it could represent a first meaningful step towards sustainability.