Product packaging plays a role in nearly every purchase made by consumers. In 2016, the packaging market was valued at more than $221 billion. The vast majority of packaging was used in the food and beverage sectors, and more than 75% of that packaging was made of plastic [5]. Today, consumers are aware of the unsustainable nature of plastic materials, due to their high energy costs during production, their very slow decomposition, and the difficulty in recycling them. Although plastic remains widely used for packaging, its usage rate is slowly declining. This can be attributed, on the one hand, to public awareness of the risks posed by plastic, and on the other hand, to the growing popularity of sustainable packaging.
Defining what constitutes sustainable packaging is quite challenging because it involves a wide range of areas. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition defines sustainable packaging by examining its social, environmental, and economic impacts. To be socially sustainable, packaging must be beneficial and safe for individuals and communities throughout its entire life cycle. Economically, packaging must meet market criteria in terms of performance and cost. Finally, to meet environmental criteria, the entire life cycle of a packaging product must be supported by renewable energy, produced optimally using recyclable or renewable materials, designed to minimize the materials and energy required, manufactured using best practices, and produced in a closed-loop system [1,2]. This definition is intentionally broad but perfectly consolidates the necessary information across these various socioeconomic domains.
In general, plastics do not meet the criteria defined above, for several reasons. Other materials are much more sustainable. Most metal packaging can be produced sustainably because it is easily recyclable or reusable and has a very long lifespan. Paper can also be used to produce sustainable packaging. It is also easy to reuse and can serve many purposes. Metal and paper are the two main materials in the sustainable materials market [1,7].
In recent years, consumers have begun to recognize the socioeconomic benefits of sustainable packaging. The public is increasingly aware of climate change and environmental degradation and is now showing a growing interest in environmental conservation. This has prompted companies to make their packaging more sustainable. Researchers have used data from recent years to project an annual growth rate of 6.2% for the sustainable packaging market between 2014 and 2021 [3]. This growth is driven by consumers’ desire to purchase sustainable packaging, which is often more expensive than non-sustainable alternatives. This trend shows that consumers are moving away from the traditional model in which they primarily seek to buy the cheapest option [4].
We can already see that a wide variety of sustainable packaging options have begun to emerge on the market. Examples include returnable metal bottles and biodegradable food packaging. At the same time, we have also seen an increase in tinplate and aluminum packaging, and the aluminum packaging market is expected to grow by 20% by 2023. Metal packaging is, in fact, sustainable when managed properly [3,4].
In addition to the common materials used for sustainable packaging, other products are gradually entering the market. Natural, biodegradable polymers and coatings are beginning to be used for perishable goods. These coatings are made from organic materials that are often edible. One example is the membrane known as Scoby, which is made from bacteria and yeast. This polymer is first created through fermentation and then left to rest for a few weeks to allow it to grow by feeding on agricultural waste. Afterward, it forms a thin membrane that prevents oxygen from coming into contact with perishable products [6]. This is just one example of biodegradable polymers designed to replace plastic.
We cannot ignore consumers’ desire for sustainable packaging. The amount of metal, paper, and biodegradable polymers used has been steadily increasing relative to plastic in recent years. Many companies are trying to respond to this consumer interest, and a boom is expected in the market for sustainably produced packaging. This is good news for the environment, and it also presents new opportunities for manufacturers of packaged goods.
Learn more about biodegradable and sustainable packaging.
References
[1] “Sustainable Packaging: How Do We Define and Measure It ? (2005),” by Kees Sonneveld.
[2] “Definition of Sustainable Packaging (2011),” by Kees Sonneveld.
[3] “Societal Factors Influencing Packaging.” Packaging Technology and Research (2016), by Claire Koelsch Sand.
[4] “The Social Component of Sustainable Packaging (2009),” by Renee Wever and Erik Tempelman.
[5] “Packaging Waste Statistics” (retrieved January 2019), by Eurostat.
[6] “Roza Janusz Grows Edible Food Packaging (2018),” by Gunseli Yalcinkaya.
[7] “Environmental Innovation in Industrial Packaging: A Supply Chain Approach (2007),” by K. Verghese & H. Lewis.
