About Upgraded Source

Our Story

22+ years of combined experience. One honest guide.

The sustainable packaging space should be simple. It isn't. False claims, grey areas, and inflated costs have made what should be a straightforward business decision feel overwhelming.

Nathan Graham, Upgraded Source's founder, has spent more than six years inside the sustainable packaging industry, working with manufacturers across China, South Korea, and Vietnam, and alongside businesses in food, coffee, eCommerce, and retail as they navigated the sourcing process. The same problems came up repeatedly: businesses struggling with the cost of sustainable packaging, confused by certification claims, and unable to find straight answers about who to trust. Upgraded Source was built to solve all three. The supplier directory inside each guide was researched, contacted, and verified specifically for this publication.

Our guides exist to change that. They're operational tools, built for people who need to make real decisions, not read theoretical frameworks.

No pay-to-play. Ever.

Our guides are editorial publications and as such, no supplier has paid to be featured in our guides. Every manufacturer is included on merit alone, evaluated against a rigorous set of criteria. Our editorial process is independent, and that's what makes the guides worth buying.

Nathan Graham

Founder, Upgraded Source

6+ years inside the sustainable packaging industry

By the numbers

22+

Years of combined team experience in sustainable packaging

100%

Independent, no supplier pays for inclusion

38

Vetted manufacturers across several countries

4

Industry-specific editions available now

What We Are (and Aren't)

An independent publisher. Nothing more, nothing less.

Being upfront about what Upgraded Source is and how we operate. There are no hidden commercial relationships here.

What we are not

— A packaging business or product retailer

— A distributor or reseller of any packaging products

— Partnered with or commercially linked to any manufacturer

— Taking a margin on any orders placed with suppliers

— Involved in any transaction between a buyer and manufacturer

What we are

→ An independent publisher of editorial eBooks on sustainable packaging

→ A resource that helps businesses understand the sustainable packaging landscape, from materials to manufacturers

→ A guide built from publicly available information, compiled using deep industry knowledge and rigorous research

→ A curated, single source of the world's best sustainable packaging manufacturers, independently evaluated

Our Mission

Clarity. Knowledge. Direct access.

The goal is simple - give businesses the clarity, knowledge, and direct manufacturer connections they need to make confident, informed decisions about their packaging supply chain.

Cut through the noise

The sustainable packaging space is full of vague claims, misleading certifications, and greenwashing. Our guides give you the framework to identify what's real and what isn't.

Access the right manufacturers

We give you direct access to the manufacturers who supply leading global brands. Going direct means you keep the margin a distributor would normally capture.

Make decisions with confidence

From material selection through to production preparation and supplier briefing - our guides give you the knowledge to walk into any packaging conversation knowing what you're talking about.