Future Trailblazer winner Aden Newbury has transformed Kingfisher’s packaging sustainability, turning data, innovation, and curiosity into real-world impact.
When Aden Newbury first joined Kingfisher eight years ago, his world revolved around numbers. From pricing to operations, his early career was defined by analytical roles that honed his eye for detail and precision. “I’ve done pricing, I’ve done operations, all the analytical kind of things,” he reflects, “but I’ve moved over into packaging sustainability.” This shift placed him at the intersection of data, technology, and environmental responsibility, a combination that would ultimately transform how Kingfisher manages packaging compliance.
Around three years ago, Aden stepped into a packaging project that sought to evolve the company’s understanding of their packaging sustainability footprint. “The project was quite new which allowed a broad scope to develop a brilliant solution to collecting as much packaging data from as many vendors as possible. We had some visibility into the sustainability of our packaging, but we almost had a blank slate on how we wanted to develop and improve this.” At the time, tracking packaging data was entirely manual, labour-intensive, relying on spreadsheets and manual entries. The challenge was clear: how could Kingfisher modernise its systems, streamline data collection, and keep its extensive vendor network engaged?
The answer lay in a blend of ingenuity, empathy, and technology. Aden and his Packaging Operations team developed a cloud-based, web platform that allowed vendors to submit packaging data directly, eliminating cumbersome manual processes. “It’s gone from Excel and manual, to live validation, web-based feedback,” he explains. “A lot of our vendors have been on that journey with us as well, and the feedback we get is this tool is the best thing they’ve used… built it from the ground up.”
For Aden, success is about more than efficiency; it’s about designing systems that work for people. “We need this data for legislation, taxation, and responsibilities. But it can’t be difficult or overly complex to complete. So, if we make it simple and easy to follow, backed up with detailed instructions and “how-to” guides and resources, then we will get more information, and that’s exactly what we’ve achieved.” He describes a continuous, cyclical approach to data: collect, analyse, report, and iterate. “We collect the data, analyse it, provide reports to internal stakeholders, highlight packaging improvements, then go out again to measure the impact of our changes. If we identify an undesirable packaging material, our Packaging Engineers and Technologists work with our vendor base and move to alternatives.”
The transformation from Excel sheets to a dynamic digital platform required not only technical skill but also a deep understanding of vendor behaviour and user experience. Aden’s analytical background proved invaluable in anticipating potential blockers and friction points. “It’s also building the system thinking, how is a vendor going to engage with it, which buttons they are going to click, from a vendor journey perspective and user interface,” he explains. “And then what do we do with the data at the end of it as well? The system collects the data, and we have to provide it to internal stakeholders who are responsible for making packaging decisions.”
“I accidentally started in packaging,” he admits. His role as a pricing analyst had come to an end, and he sought a new challenge within the business. “I was very fortunate to be able to work in packaging. It has been a journey from very little packaging experience to now. That journey, however, has been transformative, both professionally and personally.”
Before this role, packaging barely registered on Aden’s radar. “I did not know much about packaging. I bought something from the shelf because I needed the product; I didn’t buy it for the packaging.” Now, even casual shopping trips are viewed through a more critical lens. “Even now, when I’m not at work and just shopping, I think about the different packaging solutions on the shelf and it’s like, ‘why is that packaged in that solution’, or, ‘that’s a lot of packaging for that product’, it takes me much longer to get round the shops now.”
Recognition came with the Future Trailblazer Award, sponsored by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and presented at Packaging Innovations & Empack. “It was a massive surprise… being shortlisted and then finding out I won was incredible. It looks great on the mantelpiece, and every time someone asks about it, I tell them the story.” For Aden, the award signifies more than public recognition; it has bolstered his confidence in decision-making and validated his journey from analytical generalist to packaging specialist. “Winning the award kind of validates that journey. It gives you confidence to make decisions.”
Despite the accolades, Aden is clear the work is far from over. Kingfisher recently launched the latest version of the Packaging Sustainability Application with improved functionality and user experience updates, and the team continues to iterate and improve its features further. “Helping to build the system makes it easier to guide vendors. We do all the communications we create all the how-to guides and other resources, and we help support users during the submission cycles. Being involved in the build is critical,” he says. The focus remains on enhancing user experience, increasing data accuracy, and ultimately driving more sustainable packaging practices across the business.
Aden’s journey also highlights the importance of curiosity and persistence. “If you don’t try, you’ll never know. That applies to building systems and taking on new challenges.”
The impact of his work is tangible. By digitising packaging data collection and creating a continuous feedback loop, Kingfisher can respond faster, make informed material choices, and reduce waste. “If we can reduce the amount of packaging we’re using to do that, or convert it to something better, that’s amazing. Packaging is functional for our business, but a lot comes down to what the customer wants on the day.”
Aden’s reflections reveal a broader truth about the packaging industry: it exists everywhere, and its influence stretches across environmental, operational, and consumer dimensions. Observing how data translates into real-world packaging decisions has been especially rewarding. “Getting the data and then seeing how packaging changes actually looks on the shelf and marrying those two together is so interesting.” It’s a perspective that combines analytical rigour with creative problem-solving, a hallmark of his career trajectory.
Looking ahead, Aden is excited by the opportunities for further innovation. New materials, smarter systems, and digital interfaces promise to redefine how packaging interacts with consumers, vendors, and the environment. Yet he remains grounded in practicality, understanding that success is measured by seamless product delivery and the reduction of unnecessary waste. “We’ll get there. We’re only a small cog in the machine, but if we can make the process easier, faster, and more sustainable, that’s progress.”
From a pricing analyst with minimal packaging experience to a recognised trailblazer helping to shape Kingfisher’s Packaging sustainability strategy, Aden Newbury’s story is a testament to curiosity, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace new challenges. His career demonstrates how operational excellence, technology, and a deep understanding of people can combine to drive real change.
“If you never try, you’ll never know,” he reminds us, a philosophy that has guided him from his first analytical role to the cutting edge of packaging sustainability. And there’s still time to put yourself or a colleague in the frame for the Future Trailblazer Class of 2026 – entries are open now.
