Packaging really can seem like a moving target when it comes to trying to predict the future. What better time than the new year to try to make some observations and predictions about what we see and might expect from the world of corrugated packaging this year and beyond?
1)Corrugated packaging
E-commerce packaging has become more important within the packaging industry as online shopping grows rapidly. Rigid packaging, such as corrugated packaging will dominate the sector with its stable structure and sustainable qualities.
As the war on single use plastics continues and the entire planet becomes more engaged in sustainability, corrugated will continue to be a major player.
In addition, innovations such as reusable printed sleeves that sit over multiple use corrugated boxes will help ensure that brands can meet consumer demands for sustainable and more environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
The luxury packaging market will also continue to further tap into the e-commerce market.
2) Minimalism
Aesthetics will always be important to the packaging sector, and for 2020 packaging design will continue to be minimalist. And digital print will also become more popular for luxury packaging. Even more so for the ‘Instagram generation’ – digital natives who are used to seeing aesthetically perfect images from their friends, influencers and brands alike.
More brands will be investing in updating their primary packaging – glass and plastic bottles, caps and closures – with decorative techniques, such as etching, metallization, hot stamping, screen printing and anodizing, helping to translate brand identity directly onto the product.”
Clean packaging and simplistic designs will be a trend for 2020 and beyond. Focusing on product ingredients, this trend ties in with the sustainability trend, as consumers believe less complex packaging is more environmentally friendly than over-engineered packaging.”
3) 100% recyclable materials
Sustainability has been a major trend for quite some time and will continue to be so. One of the main aspects this trend will focus on will be companies making packaging from 100% recyclable materials. According to parent company Coca Cola, Smartwater will be its first brand to come in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic.
Packaging is no longer just a box and change is the constant state that we all find ourselves in. As consumer concern about plastic grows and new technologies change what is possible, businesses need to start thinking outside of the box – literally.
It is the demand for recyclable materials in packaging and materials that are recycled that is driving the ship in 2020. Natural materials may soon replace common plastics and help brands strengthen their environmentally friendly credentials.
When care for the planet intersects with aesthetics and beautiful design, we all win.
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