With the government and consumers becoming more and more concerned about the environment, businesses are looking to change their production methods so as to create products which are more environmentally friendly than they may have been in the past. This often means that as well as reducing the amount of packaging which is used to contain the product, sustainable packaging is also utilised.
Large corporations such as Coca-Cola and Nestle are looking to use plant-based plastics wherever possible. These large firms can prove that it is viable to use these sustainable packaging methods which utilise renewable sources, and it is hoped that smaller firms will start to follow suit, if they have not already done so. Plant-based plastics are derived from sugar cane and corn and have been commonly used to create water bottles for a number of years. The sugar from the plants are converted into polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a fully recyclable material.
Of course, it isn’t just about using sustainable packaging, it’s also about reducing the amount of packaging used on products. Think back to approximately 5 years ago, and if you purchased an Easter egg you would have expected the chocolate egg to have been wrapped in foil and then placed within a plastic mould which would have been inserted into the outer cardboard box. However most of the leading Easter egg manufacturers have now removed the plastic mould layer and have instead created a cardboard base at the bottom of the cardboard box which helps to hold the egg in place. This is just one example of many whereby the product box style has changed in order to reduce the amount of packaging used.
Coffee pods are another product which have started to see a change in packaging. Previously, individual coffee pods would compromise of a plastic pod together with an aluminium lid and a filter, which was often unable to be recycled. Coffee pod manufacturers are now working on designing coffee pods which are made from plant-based materials and can be composted by the consumer.
Packaging designers all over the world are working hard to adapt their working methods so as to include sustainable packaging in their products wherever possible, and box styles are changing in order to use the minimum amount of packaging possible whilst still achieving the primary function.
If you are looking for a new and improved way of packaging your product, then take a look at The Packaging Experts website in order to find out more.
