A great piece of packaging is always a marriage between function and emotion. I love the traditional sweet tins, as they evoke simpler times of happy childhood and customary traditions — but, as a global citizen of the new millennium, should I put a bit of personal happiness above my responsibility to the environment? The answer is a resounding ‘no’. Today it is more important to have integrity, and my usefulness is what makes me happy.

There is a lot of cynicism and mistrust in big companies these days, and it is right to question big brands’ real intentions when they claim to be green. But I think it is always better to applaud a move in the right direction than dismissing their efforts completely.

Even if the science does not always fully prove their green credentials, the intention is good to start with. This, I believe, is the only way to influence big companies in a positive way. In the case of Cadbury’s Christmas packaging shift, the difference in weight between tin and cardboard alone means that the carbon footprint will be significantly smaller when it comes to transportation.

I believe in terms of packaging we are seeing two opposing directions developing: minimising and maximising. They are either becoming more disposable and using less and less material, or they are becoming more timeless with their uses maximised.

Take the Kenco Eco Refill: the idea is that the first purchase the coffee comes in a nice robust jar (maximised), and when that runs out consumers can buy a refill pack that uses less packaging material (minimise).

Whether green or not, the new Cadbury packaging trial is a good thing because it offers choice to consumers. And they will be the ultimate judge on whether this shift is a good one.

• The author is head of design at Still Waters Run Deep, a design and communications company

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