Emerging Green Packaging Trends

in 2015

While green packaging, which is also known as sustainable packaging, are commonly known terms in use today, a significant number of people struggle with their meaning. Green packaging is the use of

manufacturing methods and materials for packaging of goods that has low impact on the environment and energy consumption.

In other words, sustainable packaging uses environmentally-sensitive methods, including energy efficiency, recyclable and biodegradable materials, down-gauging, reusability and much more.

The importance of green packaging to humans and our environment is incalculable. A great deal of energy is used in the production of traditional packaging such as plastics, corrugated boxes, plastic bags, and other packaging. Most often, the source of that energy is fossil fuels that add millions of metric tons

of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere per year while discarded conventional packaging ends up in landfills or oceans causing soil, water, and plant contamination.

By using sustainable packaging, manufacturers and consumers can eliminate these contaminants that destroy the atmosphere, soil and water of our planet. Here are 6 Emerging Green Packaging Trends in 2015.

2015 may well be the year when it dawns on us that our lives will not come to a standstill if petroleum-based plastics were to disappear from the market. Plant-based plastics, or bioplastics, are poised to play a greater role in packaging and will play an even greater role in shaping consumer attitudes towards brands.We already see companies such as Coca-Cola plunging deep in the bioplastics domain.

According to the company’s website, as of June 2014, over 25 billion of its PlantBottle™ packages are in the market in about 40 countries. The company claims this has translated into 525,000 barrels of oil being saved.

1 Plant-based Plastics

According to the company’s website, as of June 2014, over 25 billion of its PlantBottle™ packages are in the market in about 40 countries. The company

claims this has translated into 525,000 barrels of oil being saved.

We know that the biggest brands have already set goals to reduce packaging at the source, and 2015 will be the year when mid-size and small brands will feel the pressure to follow suit.

The three-pronged approach brands will need to take is: Make packaging size smaller, make it lighter, and use fewer materials while doing so. Phasing out heavier materials such as glass and switching over to other environmentally-friendly rigid packaging alternatives will be the focus.

2 Lean is Mean – Put Your Packaging on a Diet

Players in the food and beverage sector, particularly, will have to begin taking steps towards reducing packaging weight. According to the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), between 2005 and 2010 alone, its members cut packaging weight by 1.5 billion pounds. The GMA expects that its members will

reduce packaging weight by another 2.5 billion pounds from 2011 through 2020. Less will definitely mean more as far as packaging in general, and sustainable packaging in particular, is concerned.

Every day, millions of tons of waste is generated in the process of producing and transporting packaging materials. In the UK alone, an estimated 5.91 million tons of packaging waste piles up every year. What this means for brands, is that consumers are likely already aware of these environmental issues through the media.

They want to know where a brand’s packaging material has been sourced from, what materials have been used for packaging, or whether the packaging can be recycled.

3 Recycled Packaging – It’s About Making the Best of Waste

The way ahead, clearly, is to switch to environmentally-friendly packaging materials sourced responsibly to help mitigate this impact, and put brands in a better position to take pride in answering these questions

that consumers have.

According to a global study commissioned by Tetra Pak, 89 percent of consumers prefer to buy products in packages they know to be recyclable. But according to a recent ISRI study, 33 percent of Americans have doubts about recycling, as they are not always certain if an item is recyclable, and 6 percent say they do not believe the items they set aside for recycling are actually recycled.

(This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) from Nov. 3-5, 2014 among 2,013 adults ages 18 and older.)

4 Transparent Recycling Chains

For this reason, we need to establish better transparency within our recycling chains in order to communicate the goals, challenges and accomplishments of existing recycling programs. One way to alleviate confusion and skepticism is to incorporate the transparent reporting structures that

measure the efficiency and effectiveness of recycled materials and disclose the chain of custody of how these materials are recycled. This is in addition to clearly labeling products so consumers can

easily identify how to properly recycle them.

“Clean” labels refer to a branding approach that emphasizes a product’s wholesomeness of ingredients, lack of artificial ingredients and sometimes a lack of common allergens. “Clean labeling” relies on the use of terms such as “natural,” “organic” and “minimally processed.” The lack of universally-accepted definitions around these terms, however, has led to growing skepticism and confusion in the marketplace.

In reaction to this, consumers and consumer advocate groups are pushing for more clarity in labeling, hence better transparency about the product and packaging composition. A recent study by Innova Market Insights found that clear product labeling is the top trend to likely impact the global food and beverage industry in the new year.

5 Move From “Clean” to “Clear” Labels

One example by which Tetra Pak is leading in this field is by displaying FSC labeling on more and more of its packages made of FSC-certified materials, thus providing consumers with a third-party

assurance that the paperboard used to make cartons comes from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources.

Millennials, generally aged between 15 to 35, make up about a third of the global population, and they are significantly influencing market trends. This purpose-driven group uses its power to drive social and environmental change across economic sectors by demanding accountability from major corporations and big brand names. They are also the largest generational group in history and, on average, they spend approximately $600 billion annually.

Research released by brand marketing firm Oliver Russell indicates their purchasing choices are influenced by companies that exercise positive social and environmental best practices across the entire supply chain. “Millennials view taking care of themselves and the environment as one and the same,” wrote the authors of the Oliver Russell Brand Amplitude Study.

6 Reaching Millennials

With on-the-go lifestyles, this generation is looking for healthy and convenient food and beverages that come in packages that are easily opened, resealed for later use, and feature recyclability and

other green qualities. In fact, 3 out of 4 millennials would choose soup from a carton over a can for just these reasons. Healthy and eco-friendly products are dominating the purchases in this market, but millennials also look for transparent information about a product’s sustainability credentials,

with claims supported by third parties.

We're excited for the latest developments in the packaging industry. If you're a manufacturer using hot melt equipment, we'd love to help you get the parts you need easily and quickly. You

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Thanks to the following sites for their insights for reference in this presentation:

http://www.business2community.com/sustainability/3-trends-will-define-sustainable-packaging-2015-01098694

http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/01/sustainable-packaging-trends-2015-millennials/

http://greenpackaginginc.com/what-is-green-packaging-and-why-is-it-better-than-conventional-packaging-for-humans-and-the-planet/