Until Wednesday, several hundred professionals from around the world are gathering at the Grimaldi Forum for the Luxe Pack trade show, scouting for innovations in the packaging sector or seeking business opportunities. An industry in constant flux amid economic and environmental challenges, analyzed by Géraldine Poivert, founder and director of (RE)SET, a business consulting firm, invited to Luxe Pack to share her expertise.
Géraldine Poivert brings her economic and environmental expertise to the Luxe Pack trade show.
By Géraldine Poivert (Director (RE)SET))
Published on Sep 30, 2025 at 11:45.
Since when has the packaging industry been concerned with sustainable development?
The "packaging" transition began about twenty years ago. Packaging is a bit like kindergarten for the environmental transition. The first aspect that led economic actors to consider the relevance of their environmental actions was packaging. During the "Trente Glorieuses" and long after, packaging was a means of portioning, transporting, preserving... There was a peak of innovation in the sector, but it went too far. Manufacturers forgot that they needed to seek the best and the cheapest. And packaging, which was the innovative child of the post-war era, has become the idol we burn.
With the client still king, how do we manage to sell recycled and reusable as elegant in the world of packaging?
It takes significant cultural engineering to make consumers like new things. And one must not be dogmatic. People won't start going green just because they're told it is. It needs to be useful, provide a service, be sexy... Look at those who bought a Tesla. They did it because there's a new driving and repair experience. Not just for the electric aspect. But packaging is a sector that knows how to renew itself...
Beyond utility and experience, are there other levers to activate to convert professionals and clients?
You have to make them dream. Especially by returning to the history of materials, taking a detour through craftsmanship. What makes people change is also the sensory experience. Returning to the beauty of the material and realizing that packaging can also be a work of art, with a story to tell. All environmental transitions must tell a story. And work together. Companies should not hesitate to join forces to develop new practices. In two years, you can achieve what you would have done alone in 10 years, at a much lower cost.
In your opinion, should plastic be completely banned from packaging?
It is necessary to reserve it for products that require essential barriers. But we can revisit paper and cardboard, which are incredible components and offer a multitude of possibilities for appropriate packaging. The watchword is to revisit, with modernity, the best of the old and the new.
Géraldine Poivert , founder and CEO of (RE)SET, France 2030 ambassador, member of the board of directors of the INEC.
