What is the Future of Flexible Packaging?
In this article, the researcher provides an infographic developed by the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) that summarizes the flexible packaging future while providing foresight into the opportunities for the same in the future. The opportunities are set to increase considering the emergence of innovation, sustainability, and ecommerce trends.
Food Waste Reduction Technology
One of the foresight is innovation to fight food waste and extend product shelf-life. Global food waste is a persistent challenge that needs to be addressed in a world where some have a surplus, and some are dying of hunger. Flexible packaging can help address food storage while extending a product’s shelf-life using compostable materials and barriers.
High Packaging Recovery Goals
As the country drives towards high packaging recovery goals, it must pay additional attention to the new flexible packaging recycling innovation and recovery systems. The nation needs to educate the consumers towards behavior change and how they can effectively use the new systems. More than 80 percent of the marine debris comes from countries without waste management infrastructure. If the globe can invest in this kind of support, consumer behavior, and industry initiatives, it can reduce marine pollution. Infrastructural investment is needed in developing countries to mitigate ocean-bound plastics, as well as more consumer behavior education for the developed nations to minimize litter.
Waste Management and Recovery for Flexible Packaging
Maximizing value recovery and minimizing environmental impact at the package disposal point requires the consumer’s conscious choice. The Wrap Recycling Action Program or the Store Drop off Program plays a crucial role in helping consumers recycles packaging made from polyethylene. The items may include overwraps for paper towels, bath tissues, and napkins, bread bags, newspaper bags, grocery bags, air pillows, produce bags, and dry cleanings. Some programs, such as How2Recycle package labels, provides a consumer with instruction on the flexible packaging components that can be recycled and how. This program also informs consumers of the package components that can be dropped off at various stores for recycling.
There is an industry coalition known as Materials Recovery for the Future (MRFF) that operates across the flexible packaging chain. The coalition engages in finding solutions for innovative, flexible packaging recovery. MRFF also manages projects that are committed towards the advancement of auto-sorting of flexible packages at MRFs from single-stream waste collection systems such as end-market for sorted materials.
Integration with Smart Technology
Technological advancement helps solve challenges within the packaging supply chain while encouraging positive consumer behavior that associates with end-of-life flexible packaging management. According to the FPA (2018), mobile devices, smart technology, and IoT growth will enable printed electronics to be added on the package to communicate with the consumers while educating them on where and how to recycle flexible packaging.
E-commerce Optimization
One concern among consumers is the lack of sustainable e-commerce packaging for their orders. The companies that manufacture flexible packaging can take advantage of this opportunity to minimize the material that they use in shipping e-commerce commodities(Flexible Packaging Association, 2020). They can also optimize shipping space on trucks, drones, and aircraft, and design the packaging for easy returns.
These are only a few of the innovative strategies that flexible packaging producers can take advantage of to improve efficiency while increasing sustainability in the supply chain. E-commerce, innovation, and sustainability are some of the areas that need a lot of attention from various actors in the industry. As long as they are keen on the strategies, they are less likely to miss the mark. The consumers have high expectations of the actors in e-commerce in attaining sustainability in business, and there is no better time for the industry to address these demands.
Reference
Flexible Packaging Association. (2018). The Future of Flexible Packaging. Retrieved 21 July 2020, from https://www.flexpackmag.com/articles/89602-the-future-of-flexible-packaging