Sustainable Packaging is set to be a significant ‘trend’ across multiple markets for the foreseeable future.

Education on climate change and the potential damage that consumerism can have on the planet is incredibly important. Brands and consumers must change their selling and purchasing behaviour to become more sustainable and instigate change.

Packaging is a prime opportunity for businesses to increase their sustainability and pass this on to their consumers by using eco-friendly packaging methods and encouraging recycling.

So, lets discuss some of the ‘trends’ to look out for in Sustainable Packaging!

Eco-Friendly Materials

One of the main ways brands can make their packaging more sustainable is through the materials that are used. There is now a broad spectrum of sustainable packaging options available to brands, including recycled materials, compostable materials, and recyclable materials.

Your brand can utilise sustainable materials for each component that makes up a product! This may include any number of eco-friendly combinations, such as bottles made of recycled materials, wash-off label materials and low-density films.

Overall, eco-friendly packaging aims to reduce the environmental impact of products. This can be done in a number of ways, which means there are many materials that may be classed as ‘eco-friendly’. For example, if the production process results in a lower carbon footprint or contributes to a circular lifecycle of the packaging by being reusable.

Reusable and Returnable Packaging

Another Sustainable Packaging Trend is reusable and returnable packaging. This method of sustainability enforces a circular lifecycle of packaging by encouraging users to either reuse packaging or return packaging to be reused by the brand.

A popular example of returnable packaging is Loop, who have partnered with brands such as Heinz, Coca-Cola, and Tesco to trial a refillable and reusable consumer goods service.

This works by consumers paying a deposit for their packaging, which is subsequently refunded after it is professionally cleaned and returned to the brands, re-entering their supply chain to be reused by consumers!

Click here to find out how we trialled eco-friendly label materials for Dr. Will’s and Loop!

Less Packaging

In recent years, many brands have reduced any unnecessary packaging components that do not benefit or serve a purpose to their product or create unnecessary waste. For example, by downsizing packaging whilst maintaining the same amount of product or completely removing packaging sections such as plastic wrap and replacing these with recyclable or compostable materials.

This method of reducing the volume of packaging components can lower costs and increase production efficiencies while also reducing the amount of waste a company creates.

However, this method should be used hand in hand with ensuring your packaging is recyclable, as opposed to using a lighter, harder to recycle material.

Refillable Products

Another major trend in Sustainable Packaging is refillable products. This is seeing increased growth in the household industry, as brands offer their consumers a new way to purchase their products while producing less waste.

Consumers make a one-time purchase of ‘sturdier packaging’ and can then refill that product when running low. We are starting to see this crop up more in our everyday supermarkets, instead of just being a specialised product restricted to independent shops.

Increased Recycling

Recycling is extremely important for both businesses and consumers. Education and information are essential for recycling, as it can often confuse consumers with which components of packaging they can or cannot recycle in their home recycling bin.

Therefore, brands need to be transparent with their consumers. For example, by ensuring that their packaging clearly states which elements can be recycled to make it simple for the consumer—making the accurate recycling of a product more likely.

To conclude, it is important to remember that sustainability is more than a trend. It is something that our future depends on as we learn to live in an eco-friendlier way.

To learn about our Sustainable Packaging options here at Springfield and receive a free sample pack, click here!