Sustainable Package Reformatting on the Rise

According to a new report by PMMI Business Intelligence, over half of CPGs are changing product packaging to meet sustainability goals by moving from one format to another.

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Brand owners and retailers are “hungry” for new sustainable format packaging solutions, and 56% of CPGs are switching or considering new packaging formats to improve recycling.

In 2019 the Flexible Packaging Association reported that 67% of brand owners were putting more effort into sustainability efforts, and statistics show consumers are buying these sustainable products. In the U.S., products marketed as sustainable made up $113.9 billion in sales in 2018, an increase of 29% from 2013. Sustainable products grew, on average, 5.6 times faster than products not marketed as sustainable, and accounted for 50% of CPG market growth from 2013 to 2018.


See: COVID-19 Changes the Plastics Conversation, but CPGs Still Innovating


But while reducing packaging’s impact on the environment can build brand loyalty and connect with customers, changing a product’s packaging format - particularly novel and/or highly functional changes - can add challenges when testing and formatting new materials. Also, CPGs are looking for even greater machine flexibility to handle variances in recycled materials.

“One of our main challenges is communicating the up and down sides of implementing sustainable packaging with CPGs to help make them aware of the impact at all levels of their organization,” said a Packaging Services Director at a material supplier.

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