Page 63 - Plastic News November 2023

Top packaging industry themes in 2024
issues, such as smarter materials and The future of work in 2024
recycling infrastructure and process- Packaging companies are increasingly
es. automating their operations to max-
The cost, safety, ethical and sustain- imise output, and this should continue
ability reservations that some in the to be a priority in 2024.
industry have about AI will need to Given the sector’s reliance on busi-
be confronted on a case-by-case basis ness with other consumer sectors,
to weigh up the benefits against the improving digital connectivity inter-
risks for now, until the technology be- nally and externally will greatly im-
lobalData’s thematic intelligence comes more advanced in the follow- prove economies of scale.
Ghas identified the top themes ing decades.
packaging industry leaders must ad- Cybersecurity in 2024 Technologies such as digital twins and
dress in 2024. AI will also help workers to more eas-
The increased digitalisation and auto- ily find innovative solutions to pack
As 2024 looms ever closer, the seis- mation of manufacturing will continue design and material challenges.
mic changes in the packaging industry to have knock-on effects on the pack-
in recent years are rearing their heads. aging industry in 2024.
Supply chains have been hit hard by Often a crucial last step in the produc- FLAME RETARDANT
successive global conflicts, increasing tion process, any delays to filling and MASTERBATCH
environmental disasters have amped packing arising from cyberattacks will
up pressure on companies to reach have a knock-on effect for consumer
sustainability targets, and rapidly de- goods partner companies as well as
veloping technologies have left regu- for packaging businesses themselves.
latory bodies and industry leaders
scrambling. The importance of industrial cyber-
security in packaging is unique, as it
Given these issues, it would be un- catalogues industrial assets such as
derstandable if some industry profes- digitally-connected machinery and
sionals want to leave 2023 behind and protects them from threat actors.
welcome in the New Year.
E-commerce in 2024 KANDUI FIREFIGHTER® is a
To ensure that 2024 is a smoother revolutionary halogenated fire
ride, GlobalData’s thematic intelli- As the e-commerce trend grows in retardant masterbatch is a very
gence has identified the top themes in 2024, packaging companies will see effective solution for flame proof-
the global packaging industry. increased demand for more person- ing PP (homo polymer and co-
alised pack designs. These bespoke
Artificial intelligence in 2024 offerings are especially popular in polymer) which gives V0 rating in
By 2024 artificial intelligence (AI) will subscription models and can enhance polypropylene at dosages as low
already be a well-integrated feature brand identity and consumer engage- as 10%.
of packaging businesses, but there are ment. This Masterbatch with REACH
still plenty of unexplored use cases to Circular economy initiatives have been & ROHS compliances allow
present potential advantages. difficult to implement in e-commerce usage in very critical applications
In packaging, AI will primarily serve to as consumers lack the resources to due to very low halogen levels.
improve production, distribution and recycle or return packaging. Digitally This flame retardant masterbatch
logistics processes, saving companies convenient features and deposit facili- can be used in Non-Woven, Fiber,
significant time and money. The tech- ties are likely to become more com- Sheet, Raffia, Moulding, Mono fila-
nology is also increasingly being used monplace in 2024 to overcome these ment & Extrusion.
in problem-solving circular economy challenges.

PLASTICS NEWS 6363
November 2023 PLASTICS NEWS