The third pillar of the BOBST sustainability strategy focuses on the environmental impact of packaging at the end of its life. As converters, brand owners, and consumers increasingly seek recyclable, compostable, or reusable alternatives, BOBST works to advance packaging solutions that support a circular economy.​

BOBST develops and industrializes recyclable and eco-friendly substrates in collaboration with brand owners, substrate producers, recyclers, and academic institutions. While packaging use and end-of-life remain downstream in the value chain, BOBST recognizes its role in accelerating industry-wide transformation through equipment innovation and material development.​

With different materials - polymer, fiber, corrugated board, and synthetic substrates - presenting distinct challenges in recyclability and barrier properties, the company focuses on enabling high-performance, mono-material packaging that can be successfully collected, sorted, and recycled.​

BOBST’s flagship program, oneBARRIER, brings together industry-leading partners to develop recyclable flexible packaging that matches the performance of complex, non-recyclable, multi-material alternatives. In 2024, BOBST launched two commercialized solutions:​

• oneBARRIER PrimeCycle – a mono-material polymer-based solution.​

• oneBARRIER FibreCycle – a mono-material fiber-based solution for enhanced recyclability.​

Both innovations underwent external recyclability assessments and Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), developed in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, to measure and validate their improved environmental impact.​

In 2024, BOBST advanced packaging sustainability across its four core industries: flexible packaging, folding carton, corrugated board, and labels. In the label industry, projects focused on optimizing label liner production. For folding carton and corrugated board, initiatives were launched to reduce plastic use, particularly in applications requiring oil and grease resistance. The flexible packaging segment remained central through the development and rollout of oneBARRIER solutions, contributing to more recyclable and circular alternatives.​

These developments reflect BOBST’s commitment to supporting sustainable packaging across a broad spectrum of materials and applications.​

BOBST aims for its Packaging Use & End-of-Life (PU & EoL) stream to be recognized by 2030 as a driver of environmentally improved packaging.​

By 2025, BOBST will continue expanding and industrializing its oneBARRIER portfolio, apply life cycle assessment tools to evaluate environmental performance, and provide internal and external training on sustainable packaging solutions. These efforts are guided by dedicated key performance indicators aligned with the company’s broader environmental goals.​

BOBST is committed to enabling the packaging industry to reduce waste, improve recyclability, and transition to a more circular future.​