Flexible Packaging
Adapting to the times with sustainable packaging Greater packaging demand during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown is a cue for enhanced responsibility by the flexible packaging industry, to go all out in promoting sustainable packaging, says Angelica Buan in this article.
Challenging times a windfall for online deliveries The ongoing lockdown worldwide has various industries reeling from low to no sales and bare minimum production capacities and outputs. However, the home delivery sector is breaking the bank with increased demand from people staying indoors and observing social distancing, and against the availability of food delivery platforms such as online takeout and ordering apps. It is an unexpected windfall for the food delivery market, forecast to cross US$9.8 billion; and the e-commerce market, predicted to hit US$6.2 trillion by 2027, by Research and Markets in separate reports. The common thing shared by these markets is good packaging that will ensure the integrity of fast-moving consumer goods during the handling and upon reaching the consumer. Meanwhile, during the pandemic, an increase in demand in singleuse and flexible packaging has been noted. According to a Technavio report, this increase will significantly impact the flexible packaging market in the first quarter of the year, tapering off gradually in the next quarters. The flexible packaging market is expected to grow close to US$60 billion during the year to 2024.
Growing awareness of flexible packaging Flexible packaging that is commonly used for snack food packaging and PET bottles for drinks, accounts for 39% of global packaging, according to a report by the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI), a North American packaging and processing supply chain body. Food is the largest end-use industry for flexible packaging, making up for nearly half of the flexible packaging used, it said. Driving the flexible packaging market forward is the growing consumer awareness of the advantages of flexible packaging in terms of food safety, longer shelf life and convenience, according to Imarc Group’s market report. Additionally, PMMI stated in its 2019 market assessment for flexible packaging that the industry is demanding sustainable and consumer-friendly packaging. It cited that convenient packaging and sustainability are two major trends that are topmost pointers, and thus, manufacturers are increasing their adoption of flexible packaging designs for on-the-go packaging and recloseability. Sustainability is also a major focus, with manufacturers using compostable The brisk demand in the food delivery sector fuels demand in and biodegradable films to meet industry single-use and flexible packaging demands, the PMMI report said.
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JULY 2020