Future of Packaging: Technology &Design in 10 Years and Beyond

By analyzing emerging technology, global packaging trends, and market projections, we can get a pretty good glimpse into what the packaging industry will potentially look like by 2032 and beyond.

In this article, we’ll go over everything from sustainability, design (smart packaging) to manufacturing (machine automation) to operations (AI and blockchain technology) and more.

What’s In-Store for Design?

In the next ten years, service providers-not product sellers, will take the throne. Therefore, future consumers will be able to enjoy an all inclusive shopping experience.

Instead of, for example, a few branded hair & beauty items, it will be customary to offer full-spectrum personal care experiences that go beyond the brand and appeal to customers mentally, emotionally, and sensually

Reshaping Packaging

While we all recognize our classic cardboard boxes, bags and bottles, the future may be reshaping these classics we’ve all grown up with.With growing consumer demands comes a growing need for convenience.Convenience calls for innovative upgrades and technological advancements that unlock new doors of opportunities for businesses.Let’s explore some changes that we may expect to see in the packaging industry.

Dissolvable Packaging

Edible packaging is an interesting and innovative alternative that alleviates the reliance on fossil fuels and has the potential to significantly decrease our carbon footprint, which is exactly what consumers are already looking for.

Using raw materials extracted from algae, natural sweeteners and natural dyes using the skins of fruits and vegetables shows a lot of potential for offering the food industry a variety of options with regards to colors, designs and more.

Furthermore, it offers an exciting experience for customers that goes beyond the packaging, seeing as they will be consuming the packaging too!Edible packaging has been explored and continues to establish credibility and functionality with edible water bubbles entering the market in 2013.

According to Design Boom the london-based sustainable packaging start-up wants to transfer from simply selling their water bubbles from pop-ups to challenging plastic waste on a global scale, piloting their water bubbles at major sporting events in 2018.

It is estimated that the edible packaging industry is growing at a CAGR of 6.81% from 2017 to 2023. This innovative way to combat plastics may be becoming a norm sooner than we think!

Reducing waste is not limited to the food and drink industry, but also to household items.

We have seen a huge emergence of water dissolvable packaging for dishwashing and laundry detergents, and this is becoming more normalized and part of the mainstream as time goes on.

Moreover, corn starch based packaging seems to be gaining more popularity in the retail industry as well as the food and beverage industry.Items such as bags, take away containers and cutlery made from corn starch are gaining more attention in many industries, especially in fast food.

From a customer perspective, this will seem like an attractive option due to the growth of the eco-conscious consumer.

Space Saving Packaging

Storing and transporting mass amounts of packaging is also seen as less eco-friendly as planes, boats and trucks transport packages to mass warehouses to be stored and ultimately end up in a landfill if stock isn’t sold or customers get their hands on product packaging they don’t see a use for.

Especially in the food and beverage packaging industry, alot goes to waste. Seeing an increase in space saving packaging to reduce mass transport, storage and waste.

So, what does space saving packaging mean for the packaging design industry?

Enhanced Sustainability Efforts

Sustainability in aspects beyond packaging and products is already an evident trend within almost any industry. Consumers are leaning towards a more eco-friendly shopping experience and this is also becoming more normalized as time goes on.

While eco-friendly options are currently less cost effective, consumer spending on eco-friendly products seems to be on the rise.

According to Survey Monkey; 1 in 3 consumers favor eco-friendly options and 35% of respondents would purchase a product that is better for the environment over other products that may be slightly cheaper.

With more companies taking up the mantle of environment protection, coupled with savvy consumers who now expect a higher level of eco-responsibility, sustainability has already become a strong focus for the packaging industry.

Current trends include waste reduction, efficient use of box space, lower carbon footprint, and recycling.

So, what exactly does the future hold? An area that will see a boost is compostable packaging.

The compostable plastic packaging market is projected to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% by 2028.

In simpler terms – investing in sustainable packaging now shows promising benefits for brands worldwide.

Sustainability has been a heavy topic of discussion in the business and consumer world over the last few years. We’ve already witnessed and grown with many new sustainable packaging options at our disposal.

It’s safe to say that because of this, sustainable packaging may be the new norm overriding plastic packaging completely in the future.