Google is open-sourcing a Plastic-Free Packaging Guide for the consumer hardware sector

Google Pixel 8 packaging laid out in design components

Google is open-sourcing a Plastic-Free Packaging Guide for the consumer hardware sector

Google is open-sourcing its Plastic Free Packaging Design Guide to provide practical insights and strategies as part of the tech giant’s commitment to reducing plastic use and creating more sustainable packaging solutions.

The guide will offer insight into the design and practices behind the development of its plastic-free packaging solutions, including its Pixel 8 – the first product designed by Google with 100% plastic-free packaging.

Google has made a firm commitment to eliminate plastic from its hardware product packaging by 2025.

Initially, focus was on lowering the overall packaging weight and volume as Google made significant progress in reducing both by over 50% from its first Pixel phone to Pixel 8. Google states that is has since been steadily reducing its use of plastic packaging to ‘ease recyclability for municipalities and waste management systems.

‘Plastic isn’t inherently problematic, but its overuse in packaging, particularly in mixed material formats, makes recycling and resource recovery a challenge,’ writes the Google team. 

While working towards fulfilling it 2025 commitment, Google ‘saw an opportunity to create a larger impact’ by sharing its learnings so far. Its Plastic-Free Packaging Design Guide therefore contains insights gained from its design, engineering, and operations efforts in creating more sustainable packaging for its hardware devices.

Google writes that it ‘hopes its design suggestions will accelerate progress for others with similar sustainability ambitions.’

“A sustainable future won’t be achieved through the actions of one company,” said Ana Corrales, chief operating officer, Google Consumer Hardware. “Working together is always how the best outcomes are realised.”

Google’s Plastic Free Packaging Design Guide will be one of the corporation’s first publications to share technical details from its consumer hardware sustainability work. Google will work to update the guide as new solutions are developed.

Check out and download the Google Plastic Free Packaging Design Guide here.

More News

The
POC Toolbox.

Join our Newsletter

Keep up to date with the industry’s latest sustainability news