How will packaging solutions evolve in the very near future? What innovations should be expected, what developments will be invested in? What do you need to pay attention to in order to keep up with your competitors? Today, we're going to look at a few trends in the packaging market that are likely to dominate not only in 2023, but also in the years to come.

The first: the economics of a closed cycle for plastic.
This is the most important area of focus for a huge number of companies. Despite the outcry from environmentalists and legislative initiatives, plastic is still the lightest, most versatile and often cheapest material for packaging. And if we do not send it to rubbish, but achieve a maximum level of recycling and further use, it would solve not only the problem of pollution, but also the issue of dependence on fossil resources. There is already a shortage of recycled plastic in Europe. On the one hand, there are legal requirements and consumer demands for recycled plastic in packaging, and on the other hand, there is an imperfect chain for collecting it and further recycling possibilities. Therefore, there is an increasing investment in plastic recycling, in research into the separation of complex, multi-layer packaging, and in the construction of recycling plants.

Second: Paper and bioplastic packaging.
Many companies and even governments have turned their attention to the field and development of bioplastics. Late last year and early this year, several large grants have already been allocated for such research. And in general, there is increasing news that a particular start-up has entered the market with its version of biodegradable and compostable plastic. Also worthy of extreme attention are a variety of packaging options made of paper and cellulose fibre, as an example of renewable and very environmentally friendly packaging from the buyer's point of view. Paper industry leaders such as Amcor, Mondi and Coveris are now investing heavily in expanding the use of paper packaging, developing the latest barrier properties for such packaging and replacing plastic wherever possible.

Third: digital interaction with packaging.
As technology advances, we are seeing more and more QR codes, AR and NFC on packaging. The customer can interact with the packaging, receiving additional information, bonuses or entertainment. This feature is widely used by companies to increase customer loyalty, to collect marketing statistics. But the area of interaction is expanding all the time. Interactive packaging is increasingly being used to present full product information, to track goods from the starting point of production to the end consumer, to make it accessible and inclusive, and to speed up sorting during recycling.

Fourth: reusable packaging.
Another trend that is far from new, but has recently gained a second wind, is reusable packaging. Of course, attempts to introduce reusable packaging in the food and beverage sector are far from successful everywhere and are gaining momentum very slowly. However, such developments for household and personal care products are increasingly in demand. And returnable and resealable postal boxes have become very popular at all, given the rapid development of e-commerce.

The materials of the sites packaginginsights.com were used.