“Is traditional packaging slowly coming to a grinding halt? Or are we seeing the last days of plastic and non-biodegradable materials?” These questions have become quite popular in the recent past. In fact, they seem to be attracting large readership lately. Traditionally, the main mode of packaging was use of plastic, foam, polymers and other non-biodegradable materials. However, this is slowly changing as more people and industries adopt greener alternatives. This is coming at a time when there is rising concern about environmental destruction, pollution, and also destruction of the ozone layer. The new trends in packaging are aimed at offering greener alternatives that focus on the following aspects:
Reduction
A while back, packaging concentrated on finding more options. The goal was to have as many products in the market as possible. But, this is no longer the case as focus shifts to reduction. People, as well as manufacturers, are encouraged to reduce the packaging products for a greener environment. Manufacturers are forced to come up with packaging products that are much thinner, thereby reducing the material used. Consumers on the other hand are encouraged to minimize usage of paper, plastic or other products. This is leading to a decline in use of materials such as resin, plastic strapping, transparent film, carton sealing tapes and much more.
Re-use / Multi-user
The new trend is to reuse a product not once, twice or thrice but as many times as possible. So how is this achieved? Manufacturers are creating new packaging products that take lesser material but are much durable. Use of specialty coatings can help extend the life of a product. The packaging products such as mailers, totes, and others feature logos and details that encourage users to reuse the package. Modern products come in multi-user form where it can be used for varied purposes. It is suitable for grocery, stationery, mailing, and much more. This has seen large retailers such as Amazon come up with strategies that dump traditional packaging in favor of greener alternatives.
Recycle
Recycling has always been talked about for many decades. Research shows that recycling is one of the best ways of protecting the environment. This becomes even more effective if biodegradable materials are used. New age packaging is based on products that can be re-manufactured into similar or other products. This reduces the amount of waste in the environment and also the energy used in sourcing new raw materials. And as part of encouraging other people to follow suit, the products come clearly labeled to indicate they have been recycled.
This summarizes the new trends that are slowly creeping into the world of packaging. It is no longer just about using stylish and affordable options, but also about making certain the techniques are eco-friendly and green. This consists of using bio-degradable materials, developing thinner but more durable packaging products, minimizing consumption, and also using recycled materials. Such techniques not only produce similar or at times better packages, but also protect the environment. And if the current trends are indicative of the future, then we are indeed witnessing the slow death of traditional packaging.