Discover your next big idea for life sciences at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Experience a breakthrough in life sciences packaging—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries, all in one place this month.

Mindful consumers drive packaging trends for 2018

Innova Market Insights predicts green packaging, packaging that reduces food waste, and smaller, portable packaging will dominate the food and beverage industry this year.

Innova Market Insights predicts biodegradable and compostable packaging like the Edible Six-Pack Ring from Saltwater Brewery will become more prevalent given consumers’ growing interest in environmental issues. Photo courtesy of Saltwater Brewery.
Innova Market Insights predicts biodegradable and compostable packaging like the Edible Six-Pack Ring from Saltwater Brewery will become more prevalent given consumers’ growing interest in environmental issues. Photo courtesy of Saltwater Brewery.

As consumers become more mindful and thoughtful about making responsible food and beverage choices, packaging is following suit, according to new research from Innova Market Insights, a global market research company based in the Netherlands that focuses on the food and beverage industry. The company shared its findings about the top packaging trends for 2018 in March at Anuga FoodTec, an international food and beverage trade show in Cologne, Germany, highlighting that eco-friendly packaging, packaging that reduces food waste and portable packaging in smaller sizes will dominate the food and beverage industry.

According to Innova’s research, consumers are more concerned than ever about protecting the environment and subsequently preventing packaging and food waste. As a result, the compound annual growth rate for sustainable packaging increased 26 percent from 2013 to 2017.

Green options for packaging are going beyond recyclability to meet the sophisticated demands of eco-friendly consumers. According to Innova, about 25 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom, United States and Germany say biodegradable or compostable packaging is an important consideration when they purchase food and beverage products in order to achieve zero waste. And several food and beverage companies have responded with innovative bio-based packaging. For example, Delray, Florida-based Saltwater Brewery, uses Edible Six-Pack Rings to package and carry its beers. Conventional plastic rings pose a threat to wildlife because of the potential for entanglement and ingestion. The Edible Six-Pack Rings, on the other hand, are 100 percent biodegradable, compostable and edible. If they are not ingested, the product takes 60-90 days to disintegrate when in contact with water. Mars’ Snickers bar is another example of inventive biodegradable packaging. The candy bar is wrapped in bio-based packaging made from second-generation starch derived from wastewater from the potato processing industry.

“From 2013 to 2017, biodegradable and compostable packaging have been growing a lot. A lot of innovations in retail do have this type of packaging,” said Andrea Launay, a market analyst at Innova. “It is nowhere near mainstream. Obviously it is still niche, but it’s interesting to see it is a global niche. So we expect a lot more developers in the space.”

Another green packaging option that will come on strong in 2018 is upcycled packaging, which is packaging that can be used for another higher-value purpose. For example, Agros packages its organic teas in a biodegradable pot that can be used as a planter. The packaging comes with a seed stick for consumers to plant in the pot.

Researched List: Blister Machines for Life Sciences
Need a blister machine for life sciences packaging? Our curated list features companies serving pharmaceutical, medical device, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. Download to access company names, locations, machine specifications, descriptions, and more.
Download Now
Researched List: Blister Machines for Life Sciences
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in life sciences packaging
At PACK EXPO Las Vegas, you’ll see machinery in action and new tech from 2,300 suppliers, collaborate with experts and explore transformative solutions. Join us this month to experience a breakthrough for life sciences products.
REGISTER NOW!
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in life sciences packaging