Page 24 - Plastics News February 2019

FeAtures

Packaging insights for 2019

Packaging is going digital. Consumers want an experience with their packaging, and brands want to further
engage shoppers with their stories

s brand owners in the food space look forward to pharmaceutical is yet another major user of the packaging
A2019, several trends could – and should – affect their industry. "Pharmaceutical packaging has now become a
upcoming packaging decisions. To successfully build their foremost part of the drug delivery system," it added.
brands, most food companies know the best way to present
their product is through effective packaging. Consumers – A recent report by Researchandmarkets.com predicts that
especially the younger generations – are driving many of demand for sustainable packaging will grow about 5.1
the changes in packaging. They see packaging as a way to percent annually by 2025. These actions are likely to spur
find healthier food products, prevent waste and protect innovation among packaging suppliers. Look for suppliers to
the environment. enhance processes that may make recycled plastics more
usable with food products and develop new bio-polymers
Sustainability has been an issue in packaging for so long now
that it is difficult to call it a “trend.” However, it is still at the and cellulosic fibers that are recyclable.Despite its bad rap
on recyclability, flexible packaging continues to grow rapidly.
forefront of considerations for many packaging decisions,
especially with recent calls to create a circular economy by Bags, pouches and wraps have so many advantages, such
as shelf appeal, light weight, less material usage, ease of
reducing single-use plastics. Many major food brand owners,
including PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Unilever and nearly storage, easy opening and resealability. However, use of
laminated structures inhibit recycling because the layers
250 brands globally have committed to making all packaging
recyclable by 2025. can’t be separated.
Advances in single-polymer packages, bio-polymers and
other structural evolution will make pouches and bags even
more attractive to food companies. Pouches also can be used
with emerging processing technologies, such as HPP and
microwave-assisted processing. A related development is the
increasing need for transparency, not just in ingredients, but
in the packaging, too. Consumers want to see the product
itself to know what is really inside the package.
Packaging also is going digital. Consumers want an
experience with their packaging, and brands want to further
engage shoppers with their stories. This is most apparent
in the area of digital printing, which is making inroads with
all types of packaging, from cartons to pouches and cans.
For the first time, converters’ purchases of digital presses in
2018 was expected to surpass flexo presses. Digital printing
According to a study by Assocham-EY. India’s packaging now offers comparable print quality and brisk improvements
industry is expected to touch $72.6 billion by FY20 on
account of rising population and income levels, The industry in capacity compared to other forms of printing. With the
ability to produce variable printing, packaging of all types
was $31.7 billion in 2015.The growth is driven by key
factors such as rising population, increase in income levels can be personalized and customized.
and changing lifestyles. It said that boom in e-commerce Some converters are going all-in with digital printing. For
and organised retail will enhance the growth of plastic instance, ePac, with six locations and more than 20 digital
packaging and per-capita consumption in the years to come. presses, is the first U.S.-based flexible packaging company
Fast-moving consumer goods is one of the primary growing built entirely on emerging digital printing technology,
segments in the retail sector and is also one of the biggest providing brands rapid turnaround and the ability to order
end users of the packaging industry, it said adding that custom printed short- and medium-run length jobs.

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