Insight into the Future: Packaging Trends that Overseas-Expanding Enterprises Need to Focus On

2024-08-19 09:22:16

In the era of the plastic recycling economy, overseas-expanding enterprises are facing increasingly strict regulatory requirements and consumers' expectations for sustainable development. Packaging, as the "outerwear" of products, not only protects and showcases products but also has a significant impact on the competitiveness and environmental responsibility of enterprises. In the future, if these enterprises want to stand out in the international market, they must keenly observe and focus on the following packaging trends.

I. The EU intends to make it mandatory to use recycled plastic PCR materials

The proposal of the European Union's "Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste" (PPWR) clearly stipulates that plastic packaging should contain a certain amount of recycled content from post-consumer plastic waste per unit of plastic, that is, a certain amount of PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) materials. This regulation aims to reduce reliance on raw resources and increase the recycling rate of packaging materials.

Although there are disputes in the industry regarding whether PCR can truly achieve recycling, it is undeniable that the PCR materials does indeed have certain advantages. First of all, it helps reduce resource consumption and environmental pollution. By recycling and reusing used materials such as plastic, the total amount of waste can be decreased, and the pressure on the exploitation of natural resources can be reduced, thereby achieving resource conservation and ecological protection.

Secondly, PCR materials is in line with environmental protection trends. Consumers' attention to environmentally friendly products is constantly increasing. The use of PCR materials can enhance the green image of enterprises and meet market demands.

Some internationally renowned brands have begun to increase the proportion of PCR materials in their packaging to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development. For example, the global cosmetics group Estée Lauder has committed that by 2025, the proportion of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in the product packaging of the group and its brands will exceed 25%.

To meet this regulatory requirement, overseas-expanding enterprises need to actively seek reliable PCR material suppliers and establish an effective supply chain. At the same time, enterprises should also strengthen the optimization of packaging design to ensure that the quality and functionality of packaging are not affected while using PCR materials.

II. Recyclable Design is the Future Trend

In 2023, Kraft Heinz Company, in collaboration with Berry Global, launched the first 100% recyclable bottle cap, achieving recyclability for the entire bottle, including the cap. This could potentially save approximately 300 million non-recyclable silicone bottle caps each year. As early as 2020, the British infant food brand Piccolo introduced a suction bag made of a mono material, polypropylene (PP), while the suction nozzle and bottle cap were made of HDPE and were "100% recyclable".

Piccolo launches 100% recyclable suction bag

It can be foreseen that Design for Recycling will become an important development direction for future packaging. This also means that overseas-expanding enterprises should incorporate recyclable design into the overall strategy of product development. At the initial stage of product design, a series of issues related to recycling, such as the feasibility of recycling packaging materials, recycling value, recycling processing methods, and structural manufacturability, must be fully considered to maximize the recyclability of the packaging.

The mono material recyclable PEF heat shrink film launched by Chinese company Mingca Packing in 2024 and fully certified by German Rheinland

III. The Shift from Compostability to Recyclability

Compostable packaging has long been regarded as a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics. Compostable packaging offers many benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, facilitating the diversion of food waste, and promoting soil regeneration. With the increasing crackdown on traditional disposable plastic products in countries around the world, the market size of compostable materials is further expanding. However, the release of the PPWR amendment in the European Union has gradually changed the market dominance of compostable materials, shifting from compostability to recyclability. The main reasons for this shift are as follows.

In the perspective of resource utilization efficiency, recyclability can better achieve the circular utilization of resources to create a circular economy. In contrast, although compostable packaging can decompose in the natural environment, it does not truly transform the materials into reusable resources. Emphasizing recyclability can prompt enterprises to design packaging that is easier to recycle and reprocess, reducing the continuous consumption of raw resources.

Concerning the practical operation, recyclability has stronger feasibility and wider applicability. Currently, recyclable technologies and markets are relatively mature, and a certain scale of recycling systems and industrial chains have been formed. However, compostability still has some limitations in technology and facilities and requires specific conditions for effective decomposition, usually achievable only in industrial composting facilities. Home composting cannot meet the necessary conditions for effective decomposition of compostable plastics.

Upon an economic perspective, recyclability can create greater value. By recycling packaging materials, recycled materials with market value can be produced, bringing certain economic benefits to enterprises. At the same time, with the emphasis on recyclability in regulations, when enterprises fulfill the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, they pay fees based on the recyclability rating of the packaging, which also incentivizes enterprises to adopt more recyclable packaging designs.

For overseas-expanding enterprises, to adapt to this trend, they need to re-examine the design and material selection of packaging. When designing packaging, they should consider how to make it easier to recycle, such as avoiding the use of complex multi-layer packaging or material combinations that are difficult to separate. At the same time, pay attention to the recycling systems and requirements in different regions to ensure that the packaging can be effectively recycled and processed in the target market.

Today, whether it is PCR materials, compostable, or mono materials, major industry giants will consider packaging sustainability when planning their entire product lines. Overseas-expanding enterprises must focus on trends such as the recyclability of packaging, the use of PCR materials, and recyclable design. By adopting packaging strategies that comply with regulatory requirements and market trends, enterprises can not only reduce the environmental impact but also enhance their competitiveness and brand image, better adapt to this irreversible development trend, and lay a solid foundation for the long-term development of the enterprise.