POPAI Impact25: Collaboration & Creativity

POPAI’s Impact25 Sustainability Summit saw industry suppliers, brands and experts come together for a thought-provoking event that reminded us how vital it is to keep pushing forward with sustainable progress in retail and point of sale. With an agenda covering innovation, design, materials and legislation, the standout message was simple: just do something.

Winning hearts and minds

Something that everyone could agree on was that there still needs to be a shift in mindset and a change of culture in how sustainability is perceived. Even though it is definitely becoming a bigger consideration, it’s very rare that sustainability is the main focus. It was said that it always seems to be within the top ten list of priorities, but never the top three.

There is still a glaring cultural challenge of getting organisations to take the long view when short term thinking provides more instantaneous results. It’s clear that sustainability needs internal champions to push for change and start to build shared values so more eco-friendly practices can be accelerated. A way to encourage this is to put more of a focus on sustainability upskilling and training to increase understanding and build a stronger connection around the topic.

Sustainable from the start

Sustainability needs to be thought about at the beginning of a design process instead of being an afterthought. Brands need to decide on what strategic environmental goals they’re looking to meet and then ensure that these are conveyed as part of the initial brief, it’s much easier to develop a design when it’s known what is needed at the outset instead of trying to shoehorn features further down the line.

One encouraging shift is the growing recognition of simplicity as both a design virtue and a sustainability asset. Designing things that are intuitive, elegant, and long-lasting isn’t just good aesthetics – it’s responsible. Better design can lead to a longer-lasting outcome, it means fewer materials, less waste, and greater potential for reuse or repurposing. In a world of short attention spans and short commercial cycles, we can’t fix everything – but we can create with intention.

Reuse! Reuse! Reuse!

Reuse came up time and time again – not just as an operational goal, but as a creative driver. There was real energy around the idea of designing better and repurposing materials and items that are already available, rather than simply designing from new.

There was a big call to make units modular, so they’re easily moved/transported, as opposed to using glue bonding and making them a fixed structure. Designing for longevity was a key talking point, as was the need to think beyond single-use mindsets and embrace ownership models that allow for circularity. From display units to entire retail environments, there’s growing demand for spaces and assets that can flex, evolve, and earn their keep over time – a shift that requires closer collaboration between designers, marketers, and procurement teams alike.

Barriers to sustainability adoption

Many speakers talked candidly about the challenges of delivering sustainability at scale, usually associated with increased costs. While ambition is growing, implementation often lags behind showing there’s still a disconnect between intention and delivery. Pop-ups, for instance, offer brands flexibility and a testing ground – but follow-through can be lacking.

Other recurring issues discussed were around siloed workstreams, financial pressures and the rise of “green hushing” – a reluctance to shout about good work for fear of greenwashing accusations.

That said, there was also real innovation on show. New materials and developments in recycled ranges are helping close the gap between vision and execution. Life Cycle Assessments for products and materials are becoming more and more standard to support better decision-making from the outset.

Summary

In short, Impact25 suggested meaningful change doesn’t require perfection but it does require action. Start where you are. Collaborate more. Think longer. Design better. And most importantly, don’t wait to be asked.

If you’d like to explore these insights further or learn how we can support your business with sustainable retail solutions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out at [email protected].