Innova Market Insights announces its top packaging trends for 2024

Innova Market Insights has announced its top packaging trends for 2024, with "digital circularity" topping the list. Upcoming regulations, in particular the UN Global Plastics Treaty and the revised EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), will strengthen the need for responsible waste management. The packaging industry will increasingly turn to digital technologies to deliver scalable circular economy solutions.

"Maximizing the Minimization" was named the second trend, as producers pursue material reduction and lightweighting initiatives to improve their environmental footprint, especially in e-commerce. Third, new regulations are expected to bring about a "fast-food cleanup," which will intensify the reusable versus single-use debate.

As lawmakers address the broad issue of greenwashing, "honest packaging," the fourth trend, will benefit from a stricter regulatory environment. Global market researchers sum up this year's trends as "Breaking Barriers," as paper packaging manufacturers unlock the growth potential of fresh food through plastic-free barrier innovations.

Trend One: Digital Circularity

With the surge of connected technologies such as QR codes, NFC and digital watermarks, industry players will adopt digitalization to improve environmental impact, automate supply chains and avoid greenwashing lawsuits. Artificial intelligence systems and machine learning

New laws such as the revised PPWD mean that stakeholders need the best and verifiable data to support their claims and achieve circularity goals. The industry's focus is now on using cutting-edge technology to ensure material traceability and legal compliance. SaaS platforms can capture and verify this data.

Companies will also use new technologies to encourage responsible consumer behavior. Chinese researchers found that incorporating "green nudges" into food service apps can greatly reduce packaging consumption.

The development of technologies such as QR codes and NFC has moved beyond brand-to-consumer interaction - now they are also used to drive positive consumer behavior and improve packaging circularity. With consumer scrutiny intensifying and regulatory changes on the way, companies are embracing advances in sorting and recycling.

According to consumer surveys, more than two-thirds (77%) of global consumers say they engage with connected packaging at least occasionally, while more than a quarter (27%) see sustainability information such as carbon footprint as a key reason for their engagement.

Data shows that from 2019 to 2023, the number of food and beverage products worldwide with QR codes on their packaging grew by 19% (CAGR).

Trend Two: Maximizing the Minimization

For producers, whether they want to improve their environmental footprint or reduce materials, it is a time-tested approach. Data shows that from 2019 to 2023, packaged food and beverage products worldwide with packaging reduction claims grew at an average annual rate of 41% (CAGR).

Consumers are responding - according to the survey, nearly one-third (29%) of global consumers say that reducing the use of packaging material would positively influence their product choices.

Supporters of plastic packaging often emphasize that, compared with glass and metal, plastic packaging can reduce transport-related emissions. Some companies are innovating with lightweight solutions to achieve carbon reduction, while the directive on tethered caps aims to minimize the buildup of plastic waste in landfills.

As brands pursue carbon reduction, lightweighting initiatives across various material types will multiply this year, including infinitely recyclable materials such as glass and metal. For example, OI Glass launched a 390-gram wine bottle for the French market, a 25% weight reduction.

The trend of reducing or eliminating plastic is very important in e-commerce, which affects weight and related carbon emissions. Amazon recently retrofitted automated machinery at a US plant to produce 100% paper packaging, eliminating the plastic liner without compromising weight or durability.

The Chinese government is also cracking down on excessive e-commerce packaging. In the European beverage market, under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, caps must be tethered to bottles from July this year. Meanwhile, label-free designs, such as Coca-Cola's label-free Sprite bottles in the UK, also support material reduction efforts.

Trend Three: Fast-Food Cleanup

Packaging at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) will change significantly this year, especially in Europe, where the sector faces unique challenges because of its reliance on single-use formats; the potential of reusable materials to reduce ecological impact continues to spark industry debate, and surveys indicate that 40% of consumers increased their use of reusable packaging in 2023.

The PPWD's push for reusable solutions may inspire innovation in reusable glass bottles, similar to eco tote bags.

However, some critics argue that ambitious targets fail to take into account increased energy and water use, which may outweigh any potential benefit. Bottlenecks may also arise in achieving recycling targets. Some companies are experimenting early with reusable dining formats.

Last year, Visa and Uber helped food service businesses shift to less harmful packaging formats. Starbucks and Hubbub launched a reuse project to incentivize businesses to adopt this model.

A study commissioned by McDonald's predicts that mandatory reuse targets for 2030 could increase plastic packaging waste from dine-in consumption by 300% and from takeaway consumption by 1,500%.

Even so, food service products using reusable packaging are still making progress, with an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18% from 2019 to 2023, and 38% of global consumers say they are willing to pay more for reusable packaging than for "conventional packaging."

Trend Four: Honest Packaging

Green action is accelerating, and companies must all be prepared. Major companies such as Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestlé already face legal proceedings over misleading claims in the EU.

Consumers are increasingly skeptical of claims on packaging. Nearly half (46%) of consumers worldwide consider environmental information on packaging to be misleading, and claims such as "100% recyclable" are misleading in most cases.

As allegations mount, so does the threat of litigation. The European Parliament recently approved a new directive banning greenwashing and deceptive product information in order to protect consumers.

Lawmakers said, "Companies can no longer deceive people." In addition, the final round of negotiations on the UN Global Plastics Treaty will take place later this year to determine how the packaging industry uses and markets plastic products.

However, as artificial intelligence spreads throughout the industry, experts warn that a new type of deception, "AI washing," may spread this year.

Trend Five: Breaking Barriers

Barrier coatings are now a focus in almost every field. Notably, the shift from plastic to fiber-based solutions brings the challenge of replicating grease and moisture protection and shelf life without using plastic.

However, adding plastic film has become standard practice for enhancing the poor oxygen and water vapor barrier properties of materials such as paper and paperboard.

Innovations in functional oxygen barrier films match the performance of conventional plastics, heralding a continued transition to paper-based solutions and reduced reliance on plastic while improving recycling efficiency. Most companies still use some form of fossil-based plastic to cover paper packaging.

However, companies are investing in bio-based barrier layers to eliminate plastic and unlock new applications. For example, Aquapak's functional oxygen barrier film can replace ethylene vinyl alcohol (the most widely used plastic barrier layer) as part of a multilayer structure.

Nearly one-third (27%) of global consumers say that extending shelf life affects their purchasing decisions, second only to ease of storage (34%). Coating is also an issue in the metal packaging market, as conventional barriers are linked to health concerns.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-379639.html