Sustainability is becoming the main focus for packaging. However, there is no solution that’s one size that’ll fit everything. The preferences that people have on these trends, and the different technologies that come up because of this offer solutions that are beneficial overall, and hit the needs that customers might have as well.
Sustainability is becoming one of the major trends, and it’s what a lot of industries are trying to put together. Both Kellogg and Coca-Cola have both put together better processes for being sustainable, making sure that the packaging that they have by 2025 is totally recyclable, and that the packaging is as sustainable as it can be in the next ten years.
The Rise of Mono Materials
The biggest, most driving force for sustainability is the mono materials. This is one of the best ways to promote recyclability. There are many solutions that packagers are trying to deliver. Packagers are looking at these mono materials.
These are all made from the polymer grades, and they’re recycled both as one singular substance, but then utilize far less energy to create the circular loop that’s there. It’s lightweight, more flexible, and resistant to moisture. That’s why polyethylene is gaining a lot of traction. This is starting to become a major strategy for brands.
There are brands that are moving to 100% recyclability by the time 2025 rolls forward, and polyethylene will be an innovative packaging measure that is great for allowing closures and pouches to work. This is great for boosting the experience of a consumer, in both a product, functionality, and a security type of thinking.
This is great for offering better reclosability as well, and with the seal being nice and tight to offer a lock to prevent product spillage, this is working in great ways that offer immediate functionalities in place.
The closures of this are also offering convenience, and great recyclability and easy opening to meet the needs of consumers, and offering the best pouch solutions for programs so that they’re recycle-ready too.
Multiple solutions
Another big thing to look t, are the different solutions. While recycling is still the biggest factor, here is another part of this. The composability that happens, and also, a very attractive solution or those chances when you can’t recycle. As more and more consumers are changing this, companies are noticing this.
More companies are using sugar cane, oil, corn, hemp, and other compostable materials and films, creating a more circular type of economy. This type of compostable packaging does offer the product lifestyle that’s there, and offers you a chance to get the full benefits of compostable packaging. Walmart and other major retail giants are currently moving towards recyclability, and at least 17% of these private brands are trying to move towards post-consumer content.
Target as well is moving towards this too, with the plan to be more sustainable, and is sourced directly from post consumer, stopping the production of virgin plastics.
But there are other trends that are happening too, with the current child-resistant packaging growing by up to 5.4% in the last couple of years, and it’s slated to continue growing.
The need to have packaging that’s safer for kids is vital, so that they don’t accidentally eat it and then choke on this.
We also will see more and more QR code packaging, as this is something that’s already been taking off, with brands including Pepsi offering a chance to boost cost-effective QR code packaging that works for the brand’s needs.
These are the major trends, and hopefully what’ll change in the future too.