Every year production sectors globally gear up to predict the upcoming top trends to plan for the coming year. The packaging industry is no exception to this planning. Each year innovative new packaging becomes available due to public demands and environmental guidelines.
The public trends have changed over the years and public awareness of reducing waste, making things recyclable or environmentally friendly has taken a stronghold with the next generation.
1.) E-commerce
We can’t ignore the increase in E-commerce orders for packaged products or the new requirements from companies. Like Amazon, ensuring that the container arrives at its destination without damage.
If you do not have the knowledge or have not begun to modify your packaging. The standards have been listed by Amazon for packages shipped from the warehouses on its site. With one of the biggest packaging challenges—packages with liquid.
Amazon has completed a 3-foot drop test for liquid packaging. The package has to be dropped onto a hard surface without cracking or leaking. The drop test includes five drops: Flat on base, Flat on top, Flat on the longest side, and Flat on the shortest side.
There is also a problem with products which have too much packaging. Consumers now consider over-engineered packages as not “environmentally friendly.” Going too far in another direction with inadequate packaging will make your brand look inferior.
This is why it will be crucial for you to spend additional time to find the right company to partner with. A company that will assist with these E-commerce guidelines so that you don’t need to return to the drawing board more than once.
2) Minimalism
Aesthetics will be necessary to the packing sector, and for 2020 packaging design will continue to be minimalist with decorating features. And digital print will also become more popular for luxury packaging.
Packaging aesthetics play an increasingly significant role in catching the customer’s eye in 2020. Even more so for the ‘Instagram generation’ digital natives that are accustomed to viewing aesthetically excellent images from their influencers, friends, and brands alike.
More manufacturers will be investing in upgrading their primary packaging, plastic and glass bottles, caps and closures. With decorative methods, such as etching, metallization, hot stamping, screen printing and anodizing. Helping to interpret brand identity directly onto the product.
Sterile packaging and simplistic layouts are a fad for 2020. Focusing on product ingredients, this trend ties in with the sustainability trend, as customers believe less complicate packaging is much more environmentally friendly than over-engineered packaging.
3) Smart Packaging
Smart packaging will trend in 2020 with augmented reality (AR), cloud labeling, anti-counterfeiting packs, and track-and-trace tech set to grow.
Zappar senior Marketing director David Mather said: “2020 will be a huge year for AR-enabled and connected packaging, as we are increasingly seeing customers holding companies to a higher standard of environmental awareness.
AR-enabled packaging, with its infinite scalability, has the ability to educate customers on environmental impact and support businesses. To foster an eco-friendly method while maintaining brand impression and user engagement.
Take a Smartphone, and turn into a digital discovery channel by increasing clearness about product derivation and ingredients. Creating significant moments of support while encouraging purchase loyalty, intent, and repeat sales.
4) Edible Packaging
Edible boxes or containers has gradually gained traction over the past few years, and for 2020, it is expected to continue to develop further with new innovations.
Direct Packaging Solutions spokesperson Tom Simpkins Said: In Manchester, we have seen businesses, both big and small, embracing a lot more eco-friendly, minimalist packaging, particularly in regards to how food is served. We believe that the next big issue will be on the packaging that focuses on being biodegradable, even edible.
5) Reduce/ Reuse/ Recycle
You cannot go through a day without seeing a news story or press release about issues with plastic containers. After a year of debate, it is obvious to industry executives that there’s not any solution to resolving these issues. Everyone appears to agree that processors, designers, cities/ states, Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), recycling equipment owners, schools, and people must work together to make changes.
Great ideas are coming from these conversations on how to improve recycling rates, improve the use of post-consumer resins (PCR), and solve popular recycling infrastructure difficulties.
For example, the cities which create educational presentations for their communities regarding what can be recycled and what can’t be recycled have reduced pollution observed in the stream. MRF’s are currently adding new equipment with sorting robotics to reduce pollution. The word is still out if the plastic ban is effective motivators and are producing desired results.
6) Packaging Made from PCR
The brands are including more PCR in their current product lines. The greatest challenge using PCR materials is to make sure it looks as good as the packaging you currently have on the shelves.
Why? PCR material includes black flecks, a grey/yellow tint, or gels in the resin. Which makes it hard for the processor to generate a truly clear container or to match the brand colors exactly as compared to the products that are made from virgin resins.
Luckily, PCR and color firms are overcoming these challenges by partnering and deploying new colorant technologies such as the G-Series. The registered G-Series can overcome the color variation inherent in PCR and is the most highly-loaded coloring solution in the market.
This sort of continuous development work combined with innovation from color houses will be required. To make a package that delivers on packaging companies’ sustainability targets without undermining the aesthetics or functionality of a product.
7) Packaging Supply Partners
Due to the ongoing challenges with supply chains due to new tariffs and a slowing global market. Companies are reconsidering their current approach, and packaging officials are searching for new packaging supply partners.
What are the features managers should be looking for in a new partner?
Keep looking for a core group of packaging supply companies. That has been investing heavily over the last five years in their customer service departments, improving their production processes, maintaining a “real” culture of innovation.