Evelio Mattos on how IDP Direct creates packaging that is as sustainable as it is luxurious

Walpole: How did you come to be involved in sustainability? What’s been your journey into this role and what sparked your interest?

Evelio Mattos: Realising that in the first part of my career I’d been creating wasteful packaging for fashion, cosmetics, and tech brands was a wake-up call. Growing up in Maui, Hawaii, surrounded by nature, I felt a deep responsibility to make a change. The Covid-19 pandemic further highlighted the excessive waste in the industry, pushing me to dedicate the past five years to learning, innovating, and leading sustainable packaging efforts. At IDP Direct, I focus on eliminating excess packaging and difficult-to-recycle materials, in order to prove that sustainability and luxury can coexist.

A Walpole bag, designed by IDP, at our recent Chair & CEO Dinner 2024 at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London (photograph by Colin Dack)

Packaging and sustainability is a very active conversation in the luxury sector right now. Where does a brand start when interrogating the sustainability of its packaging?

I’ll tell you the first place brands should look, but first it's important to say that just because we’re talking about the packaging industry, we shouldn’t limit the conversation to packaging. What I mean by this is that brands need to talk about their supply chain – where does their product get fulfilled, where are the materials sourced, and how can we take a holistic approach and find the opportunities to consolidate or eliminate? For example, many brands don’t understand why they use the packaging sizes they use everyday; even packaging resellers don’t understand why they sell the packaging in the sizes they sell. A lot of the standard dimensions we see today come from the days of shoulder pads! These were the sizes made by the machines of the 1970s and 1980s. You could buy retail packaging in any sizes you wanted – as long as it was the four sizes these machines made.

So, with that said, the first place a brand should begin when interrogating the sustainability of their packaging is size. This matters more than you think: it impacts shipping, material sourcing, warehousing, everything. Reduction and elimination is step one. Then we can talk about materials and processes.

How does IDP Direct ensure sustainability in the products it creates – and how can this be seen in the packaging designed for Walpole?

At IDP Direct, sustainability is woven into our DNA. Our complete ownership of factories allows us to control every step, from recycling waste to custom-making materials like the paper handles for Walpole’s annual Book of British Luxury packaging back in 2020. This approach, focused on luxury and user experience, eliminates excess and ensures transparency in GHG emissions.

Our new factory, operating on 80-plus per cent renewable solar energy, highlights our commitment. We proudly hold the SA8000 certification among others, partner with EcoAct for GHG inventory, and FSC for CoC certification, keeping us ahead in sustainable practices.

By seamlessly integrating sustainability with high-end design, we help brands like Walpole achieve their sustainability goals without compromising on luxury.

You have created a programme, Design for Absence (DFA), that aims to eliminate excess packaging. What do you mean by this and why is this important to you?

The future of packaging may involve no packaging at all, driven by AI, new materials and evolving consumption methods. Design for Absence is our proactive approach to this future. We help brands eliminate unnecessary packaging by reviewing processes, sizes, materials, and buying patterns, then we design smarter systems to minimise excess. Hiring IDP Direct means committing to a thorough, data-driven plan to refine your packaging and reduce environmental impact.

Packaging design by IDP Direct for the Walpole Book of British Luxury 2020

What is an important packaging innovation IDP Direct has spearheaded?

Innovation at IDP Direct thrives on collaboration. Our ReMix by IDP Direct programme introduces cutting-edge materials like OnceMore, Kelsun, NotPLA, Circulose, Woamy, and Smartsolve to address sustainability challenges and reduce carbon footprints. By partnering with our boldest clients, we lead the way in sustainable packaging solutions.

What is an important conversation around luxury packaging that you don’t think is being talked about enough – and why is it important for luxury brands to think about?

Luxury brands need to discuss the sustainability trade-offs they're willing to make. True sustainability requires a balanced approach, recognising that every choice has consequences. Many brands focus on eliminating plastic, often replacing it with paper without considering the environmental trade-offs. Without a clear plan, this can increase the overall environmental impact – decisions based on data, not assumptions, are essential. For example, near-shoring (relocating your business operations to a closer locale) may seem eco-friendly on the surface, but could result in higher emissions due to trucking. This critical conversation is often overlooked, but is essential for making genuinely sustainable decisions.

For more information about IDP Direct and its sustainability work, please visit the company's Walpole partner page