2019 is already nearly two weeks old but what will the next 50 weeks hold for this ever-changing industry? We take a look at the main packaging trends for 2019.
Flexible packaging is still getting bigger and bigger. Consumer, retail and technology trends have contributed to a gradual replacement of rigid pack formats by flexible packaging during the last decade or so. This trend is outlined in Smithers Pira’s new report, which values total flexible packaging sales at $219.5 billion in 2016 and forecasts growth at an annual rate of 4.3% to $282.6 billion by 2022.
Brands and retailers are seeing the real benefits of packing their products in flexible bags and pouches. It saves space, it saves costs throughout the supply chain and in many cases it saves on materials.
Pouches, and particularly stand-up pouches, are the fastest-growing product category within flexible packaging. Pouches, unlike their traditional rigid alternatives, can be filled quicker. This is advantageous to companies facing a growing need to reduce the time to market for even the most basic commodity items – a trend that is placing pressure on packer fillers to meet increasingly tight delivery schedules cost effectively.
In April last year, some 40 big businesses – including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose, signed up to support the UK Plastics Pact. This industry-wide initiative aims to ensure all plastic packaging can be reused, recycled or composted by 2025.
In fact, many of the retailers involved have already started to roll out initiatives to improve their sustainability. These include removing black plastic trays from their own products, with Aldi being one of the companies taking the lead.
In the coming months, we can expect to see these retailers (and perhaps more) continue moving towards recyclable plastic packaging.
With 2019 comes the launch of our Ready 2 Recycle products – a truly ahead-of-the-curve range of recyclable plastic packaging solutions that will tick all the right boxes for many brands. We expect them to be a big part of 2019, which is why they’ve made our packaging trends list. You can read more about them in our blog series here.
Packaging is, of course, an essential tool in a company’s battle to develop brand awareness. Customers see it as an extension of the product itself, with design communicating the most important brand values.
This is all in line with our motto: “Good packaging protects your product, great packaging protects your brand.”
Our innovative new Ready 2 Recycle range, as well as being recyclable, still allows for the highest-quality rotogravure printing and is available in pouch and quad seal formats. Additionally, so are the latest flat bottom style, thanks to special heat-resistant mono material structures. Truly exciting times ahead!
