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New Trend: What is Sustainable Packaging?
Everyone knows the volume of plastic material has become increasingly harmful to the environment over the years. It has always been an issue for companies and consumers to figure out what to do with a material once it’s been used. Should it be thrown away in the trash? Should it be recycled for further usage? As it turns out, more and more companies have decided to take the stand by using sustainable packaging to properly contain products in an eco-friendly manner.
According to Tipa Compostable Packaging, sustainable packaging “is any type of eco-friendly material used to wrap, store, ship, or shelve products. It protects and contains products, such as food, similar to regular packaging, but breaks down fully in the ground into beneficial organic compost.” It uses recycled materials, PET and HDPE plastic, cardboard, and paper wrappings to be recycled and reused for new material and other purposes. Cardboard does retain its quality of properties during recycling, but plastic degrades over time. It can only be recycled so many times before being sent to a landfill or incinerated.
Recently, more companies have committed to set and fulfill their goals around sustainable packaging. Companies such as VFC have goals to utilize sustainable packaging in a way that doesn’t rely too heavily on plastic. They wish to use more paper and biobased content to eliminate single-use packaging by 2025. Other companies have also worked out goals to secure sustainable packaging as the best practices for businesses from now into the future.
New Insight: Upcoming Trends for Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable packaging is just the beginning for more environmentally conscious business leaders. They hope to develop further strategies that make it easier for consumers and target demographic to maintain and even reduce their carbon footprint. Already, there have been many signs that point to how sustainable packaging will be beneficial for both the industry and the market. Here are four trends that will make sustainable packaging increasingly viable within the years to come.
1. Eliminating Single-Use Packaging by 2025
The biggest issue surrounding plastic comes from how its purpose in packaging only focuses on sealing a product until the consumer opens it. According to Jabil, most plastic is designed to only be used once and then disposed of. About 5 billion tons of plastic have been wasting away in landfills over the past 70 years. More companies are becoming more aware of this issue and plan to commit to recycling the material. They hope that reusing old material can help minimize the amount of plastic or other material thrown in the trash. Reducing waste can also benefit the food industry due to a product’s perishable nature.
2. Development in the Packaging Industry
Sustainable packaging wasn’t always a new tactic for companies to use. It wasn’t taken seriously until a few years ago. Now, various markets from around the world, including ones in Latin America, are working hard to make up for lost time by boosting the need for eco-friendly packaged products. The packaging industry predicts a long-term forecast that states that the packaging market will develop by about 3%. While the file was posted for 2028, the next several years will gross up to more than $1.2 trillion by 2030. It doesn’t look like the industry will be slowing down anytime soon.
3. Adjusting the Packaging to Fit within Many Sizes and Shapes
Most often, packed products would be in a singular size that fits all. Now, there’s been more of an adjustment when it comes to the scale and width of a product. More companies are willing to include products in various shapes and sizes designed for efficiencies in area, range, and serving size. The flexibility of the packaged product might also lead to more minor serving sizes to be designed. It will be very helpful for food products in strengthening their market appeal. It’s especially true when it comes to online marketing because of easy-open capabilities on packaging to draw in extra consumers.
4. The Impact of Online Shopping
Recently, more consumers have been relying on online shopping to get basic goods. According to a survey done by PYMNTS, 35.7 % of U.S. consumers are now buying retail goods as of May of 2023. It has increased the demand for mobile app purchasing and delivery services. The rise of online shopping will bring more consideration into future packaging, production, and pace of shipping. E-trade and global alternatives stimulate demand among logo proprietors for more effective advanced packaging systems to protect against counterfeit items and permit higher distribution monitoring. As more time goes on, delivery systems will include more advanced technology, such as driverless vehicles and drones.
New Action: Getting Started Implementing Sustainable Packaging
After seeing all these goals and the results brought to the table, you can also take the measurements needed to help your company use sustainable packaging to benefit the environment and appease consumer tastes. The more that these goals are starting to turn into reality, the longer it might take for your company to catch up. Here are the steps that you can take to help you get started on sustainable packaging.
Set out goals for how to utilize sustainable packaging to help make your product eco-friendly and commit to them.
Develop a wrapping material that can be recyclable and check on any other recyclable material that could be used for further use.
Pay attention to the market to see how well the products are doing and see if there are any changes that need to be made based on consumer feedback.
Strengthen your delivery system to have them arrive at the consumer’s doorstep in a consistent and efficient manner.
Are you ready to take your business to the next level to include Sustainable practices? We can help you evaluate the market and determine the best next steps. If you are interested N³ Innovation can help you! Contact us today!
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