Interview with Pippa Corry- Founder & Director - philo & co

Early in my career working in packaging design agencies, I was developing packaging and
supporting NPD across a huge volume of formats- many of which had no realistic end-of-life
pathway. I remember thinking: where is all of this going?

That question sparked years of curiosity and learning around waste and recovery systems and
design for sustainability. Then while working at Sustainable Brands in Copenhagen, I was
introduced to circular economy principles and had one of those moments where everything
clicked. I realised the problem wasn’t packaging itself- it was how we design and manage it.
That’s ultimately what led me to build a consultancy focused on turning circular thinking into
practical action across packaging design, strategy, claims and compliance.

Circular packaging doesn’t mean making everything compostable (quite the opposite) or reinventing every SKU overnight. It starts with understanding your packaging system, the regulations that apply, and the recovery infrastructure that exists in the markets you operate in.

Good circular design often means doing more with less- simplifying materials, improving recovery outcomes, reducing unnecessary complexity and communicating clearly to consumers. The encouraging part? You can still achieve strong brand expression and functionality while designing for circular outcomes.

We treat compliance as the starting point…not the end goal.

For brands operating across markets, we map emerging requirements, assess packaging formats and materials against future expectations, and identify where the biggest opportunities and risks sit. Then we build practical roadmaps based on the earliest or most ambitious requirements.

The brands getting ahead today aren’t waiting for regulations, they’re designing systems and strategies that remain resilient as policy evolves.

One of the biggest gaps was treating packaging sustainability in isolation. Packaging decisions impact procurement, design, operations, suppliers, compliance and marketing- so meaningful progress requires cross-functional collaboration.

The other major gap is data. Packaging data is often viewed as a reporting exercise, when in reality it’s one of the most valuable tools to identify opportunities, track progress and support credible communication. Good decisions rely on good data.

The most common issue is making claims without enough evidence behind them.

Broad terms like eco-friendly, green, recyclable or compostable sound simple, but there are increasing expectations around substantiation and real-world outcomes. My advice is don’t avoid communicating progress, just make sure it’s accurate, specific and supported by evidence.

We help clients put governance around claims so communications stay credible over time.

I love working with design agencies because design has enormous power to influence circular outcomes.

The best collaborations feel like an extension of the agency team- bringing sustainability knowledge into strategy, concepts and decision-making without limiting creativity. My role is less about saying no and more about helping teams ask better questions, build capability and design with confidence. Great design should unlock sustainability, not constrain it.

I think you framed it perfectly- sustainable packaging often carries a perceived cost premium rather than an actual one. Once we assess packaging systems, we typically uncover opportunities to reduce material use, remove unnecessary packaging and improve efficiency- creating savings that can be reinvested elsewhere.

As regulation evolves and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and eco-modulation mechanisms emerge, sustainable packaging design becomes a future-readiness strategy. Using less material and improving recovery outcomes will not only reduce environmental impact, but also help minimise future fee exposure and avoid unnecessary costs. 

Receiving those awards was incredibly humbling because there are so many people doing meaningful work across packaging and sustainability.

For me, they represent the growing recognition that sustainability isn’t a niche capability anymore- it’s becoming core business and design practice. I hope it encourages others to back their curiosity, trust their instincts and keep pushing for better.

I’m most excited by innovation that works with real-world systems, not just novel materials.

That includes smarter reuse models that work in practise and at scale, eliminating problematic packaging components, advances in inks and adhesives that improve recovery outcomes, and packaging redesign that reduces complexity without compromising performance.

The most exciting solutions are often the ones that consumers never notice, because they simply work better.

A lot of misconceptions still exist- for example that compostable automatically means ‘sustainable’, or that fibre packaging is always recyclable. The reality is far more nuanced. I try to help people understand packaging as a system and build confidence to make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

What surprises people most is that the biggest impact often happens behind the scenes.

A lot of my work involves supplier engagement, guidelines, assessments, governance and helping businesses make better decisions in the day-day. One week that might mean supporting a redesign that reduces bottle weight by over 30%; the next it’s building data systems that improve reporting and unlock future opportunities. That variety is what keeps it so exciting!-

Every organisation starts from a different place, so capability building needs to be practical and tailored.

My focus is always to leave teams with the knowledge, providing practical tools and processes to continue momentum long after a project finishes. The goal isn’t dependency- it’s creating confidence, ownership and sustained action. 

My vision has stayed the same since the beginning- to help eliminate packaging waste. 

Over the next decade we’ll see more regulation and stronger accountability, but also huge opportunities for innovation. My advice is simple: don’t wait for compliance to force action. Understand your packaging, build good data foundations and design beyond minimum requirements.

The businesses that lead won’t be the ones reacting fastest, they’ll be the ones already prepared.