In the past, plastic was the material of choice for almost all types of packaging. Plastic was the material for businesses that wanted to get their wares out into the world because it was inexpensive, long-lasting, and efficient.
It allowed designers complete creative freedom regarding their items' appearance.
One-time use plastics are quickly becoming a thing of the past in today's society.
Plastic is no longer the best choice for brands since consumers are seeking more eco-friendly product alternatives, which has resulted in prohibitions and regulations limiting the material's use.
Because we are all aware of the detrimental effect that excessive trash and plastic have on the environment, many people now have higher expectations when it comes to the packaging of the products they purchase.
While businesses continue to work toward a more environmentally friendly future, the following are some of the trends in packaging that we are now witnessing on the rise.
Some things cannot be stored in cardboard, paper, or other typical sustainable materials. Plastic packaging is still the most convenient choice for many foods, liquids, and beauty goods.
In situations like these, businesses are increasingly looking to innovative new materials manufactured from plants rather than traditional ones made from fossil fuels.
They perform precisely the same as plastic and have the same appearance, but they biodegrade in a matter of weeks or months rather than throughout hundreds of years.
The advantage of these plastic substitutes is that they may still be molded, developed, and branded precisely how you want them to appear.
The drawback is that most people would probably believe it is just plastic; consequently, you must explain that it is kind to the environment.
You may contribute to making sure that the product you are packaging is ecologically friendly by using recyclable materials.
However, to truly impact the never-ending manufacture of new material, many businesses choose to use recycled material from the very beginning of their production processes.
Because they can all be recycled, you can generally expect glass, metal, cardboard, and paper to be ideal options for your packaging because you can use any of these materials again.
But have you considered considering versions of these materials that have already been recycled? In this way, you won't just be preventing anything from ending up in a landfill, but you'll also give it a second chance at life so that it can be recycled again.
The packaging of many eco-friendly and sustainable companies is becoming increasingly minimalist in appearance and feel.
Many companies are moving away from the elaborate graphics, bright colors, and other design aspects they traditionally used in their packaging.
They are now favoring a more straightforward and uncomplicated appearance and feel for their products' containers.
Package your product in simple brown cardboard or white paper with minimum text and imagery.
You can make a striking statement that your product is recyclable and beneficial to the environment without even having to say so.
Some businesses have decided to exclude all text other than a short phrase or two, such as "I'm recyclable!" or "100% recycled," which brings us to our next topic...
It is an excellent step toward sustainability to use packaging materials that can be recycled easily; however, what good is it if your customers are unaware that they can recycle the packaging?
Recently, there has been a trend toward product packaging that features more explicit labelling and provides more transparency.
Customers can more readily dispose of your product's packaging appropriately if you make it abundantly apparent whether or not it is recyclable and how it should be recycled.
This will also bring attention to the environmental initiatives you have undertaken.
When it comes to sustainability issues, we know that an increasing number of customers are putting their money where their mouth is.
As a result, the more you brag about your recyclable packaging, the greater the likelihood that a customer will buy from you again.
Last but not least, this last one is a little bit of a wild card. Still, edible packaging is definitely on the rise, and it's a terrific method to minimize unneeded materials and waste generated.
Especially for food, candy, and beverage businesses, why buy a plastic bottle of juice when you can have an edible capsule manufactured from seaweed extract instead?
These kinds of materials haven't entirely made it to the mainstream just yet.
Still, in the growing war against single-use plastic, we anticipate that we'll soon be able to find an increasing amount of edible packaging on the shelves of supermarkets.
These are just some of the top trends we've been seeing more of in recent years; obviously, there are many different ways to make your packaging more friendly to the environment.
We are always on the lookout for innovative and exciting new trends in environmental sustainability, and it excites us whenever a new idea comes along that we haven't encountered before.
Is your company at the forefront of innovative efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the waste it generates from the packaging? Or is it possible that you could be doing more?
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