Nowadays, it’s not unusual to find big food businesses that partner with food packaging companies to take charge of their wrapped-up products. Rather than do the packaging in-house, they outsource the process and save time and money in doing so.
But with an ever-changing world that scrutinizes the community impact of packaging, these firms are beginning to absorb trends in the business that address said impact.
What are Food Packagers Concerned with Now?
We take a closer look at the trends driving food packaging today. Here are some noteworthy examples:
- Just like any business at the moment, the environment is a key concern for packaging. How will you create packaging that will lessen waste in ecology? The answer that packaging companies have is creating sustainable types of packaging.
When you employ sustainable packaging, less harmful wastes will be offloaded into the environment. The good news is that there are many types of such packaging available nowadays. Here are just a few examples:
- Edible food packaging – Just like ice cream which can be eaten from scoop to cone, you can now eat some foods along with the packaging. One of the more popular examples is wafer coffee cups. Did you actually imagine savoring a cup after drinking your Joe?
- Biodegradable food packaging – While not new, packaging is now being employed in many new ways. For instance, in place of plastic straws, bamboo straws are being promoted for use.
- Specialized food packaging – Products such as biopolymer bottles made out of sugar cane are now seen as eco-friendly alternatives. Used initially by Sweden’s Skanemejerier, biopolymers are less harmful than plastics and more sustainable.
- Removal of “best before” dates – An initiative that started in Germany, taking out the “best before” date seeks to correct the notion that food will expire at a certain date. Food lose much of their value at the “best before” date, but the misconception causes them to throw out edible food.
- Without neglecting packaging’s significance, technologies are being developed so that numerous costs are saved. By developing more affordable packaging, delivery expenses are reduced. However, the sound condition of the products is maintained. Here are a few examples of these:
- Corrugated boxes – Mainly used for shoe boxes before, they are now being used as a packaging option for foods such as pizza and burgers. This is because it is a highly customizable product, but more durable than, say, paperboard. At most, a box costs around $0.95 per item.
- Poly Bags – An option for products like candies and chocolates, poly bags allow for customizability and are easy to produce. More candy varieties from all over the world are also beginning to use this as a packaging option. Each poly bag costs $0.14.
- Side Gusset Bags – This packaging option is starting to be used more for coffee and baking materials for its impervious and spoil-free nature. An item goes for an affordable $2.50.
A New Era in Food Packaging
While hot or cold filling plastic bottles are still popular packaging options, technology seeks to point us in a better direction with sustainable packaging trends. Slowly, food packaging companies are adapting, and are pouring in money for package research and development. It is indeed an exciting proposition, knowing that we can expect quality packaging products in the future.