4 Eco-friendly Packaging Trends in 2021
Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash
The continued popularity of ‘unboxing videos’ on YouTube shows the power of great packaging. It closes the deal, validates the purchase decision and continues to educate. Even if most consumer packaging has reverted to looking like it’s from Apple, the power of that reveal remains.
Countervailing this trend to luscious delivery is the growing demand for eco-conscious packaging, and the convergence of the two is where we believe the market is going. At the extreme is the ‘bring your own jug’ bulk buy stores, and the Japanese brand Muji, which eschews packaging altogether.
In a recent survey by SurveyMonkey, 63% of US consumers said the use of sustainable packaging was very or extremely important.
So how do brands continue to squeeze brand equity out of their packaging while responding to the demand for sustainable production of everything from light bulbs to boxes? We’ve identified these four trends.
1 - Regulation drives innovation
The Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) 2.0, which is a cornerstone of the European Green Deal, has been designed to strengthen the economy, protect the environment and eliminate waste. Over 84% of paper-based packaging is already recycled, and the industry is developing processes to improve even on that and promote other options such as glass (76% of which is currently recycled.)
An emerging alternative to recycling is edible packaging. Here are some examples of that, from Dieline magazine:
Loliware Biodegr(edible) Cups
Stonyfield Package-Less Froyo
KFC's Edible Coffee Cup
MonoSol's Edible Pouches
Bob's Burger Edible Wrapper
Tomatoes Transformed Into Edible Food Containers
KFC Edible Bowls
Edible Milk Packaging
2 - Attacking Waste
Overproduction applies to many elements of modern society, from the heavy, super-powered, gas-guzzling SUVs that never leave city streets to commercial buildings that leave their lights blazing all night.
In the catering industry, up to 40% of food is wasted, and some reports show that household waste is a larger contributor to global warming than plastic waste. High-barrier pouches and retort cooking packaging are responses to this issue, allowing consumers and institutions to produce and serve only what they need.
Packaging can be a culprit too, with unrealistic and over-optimistic forecasts leading to excessive and wasted production. Digital printing allows companies to right-size their packaging production, creating exciting packaging that has a reduced carbon footprint. As we’ve noted in another article, sustainable packaging has many benefits, from improving your corporate reputation to reducing costs due to waste.
There’s a growing realisation of the value in refillable or returnable packaging - those of a certain age will remember the milkman delivering fresh milk and taking away your ‘empties’. Non-plastic packaging like glass and aluminium are best suited for reusable and refillable applications, and they’re increasingly used in categories such as bulk-buy cosmetics and in bulk-food stores.
3 - Integrated on-pack messaging
With digital printing, brand owners can personalise products down to the individual customer. In pharmaceuticals, of course, this is vital and is surrounded by regulatory requirements. But in other sectors, it provides a compelling opportunity to, for example, bridge the online/offline divide by printing a bespoke web address on the package for a discount code, prize or a VIP access event. As more purchasing goes online, breaking the link between retailer and consumer, being able to tell-and-sell on the package becomes crucial.
In some cases the messaging reflects a brand’s eco-goals - reminding the consumer, for example, that the package is recyclable, or that the innovative packaging is not a gimmick but actually makes sense. For example, Boxed Water touts its claim that its “paper-based cartons are 92% renewable and way less destructive.”
4 - Online shopping drives changes
Although the sound of the home parcel delivery may quicken the heartbeat, the box itself gives nothing away. However, with a focused effort, those seemingly endless deliveries can be recalibrated. Start with the deliveries themselves - Amazon is now encouraging ‘Amazon days’ - one day designated for all your deliveries, immediately reducing a significant component of the carbon footprint. Inside the box, too, furniture retailer IKEA is trialling packaging made from mushrooms. They plan to replace styrofoam packaging with MycoComposite - a mushroom-based packaging.
Sustainable packaging is one of those ‘doing better by doing good’ strategies. Consumers want it and will not only look more favourably on your company but pay a premium for the product it contains. The economics of digital printing allows you to trial new ideas, develop short-run or personalised products, thereby reducing costs, improving differentiation and improving carbon footprint.