30 September 2024
The latest sustainable packaging trends
Green innovations and eco-friendly materials: how sustainable packaging is revolutionizing the packaging industry
What is sustainable packaging?
Before seeing in detail what are the latest news that have affected the sector, it is important to first understand what sustainable packaging is.
In general, "sustainable packaging" is a type of packaging designed to minimize the environmental impact throughout its life cycle, using recyclable, biodegradable materials and often from renewable sources. Unlike traditional "disposable" packaging, it is designed to be reusable and easily disposed of, thus reducing waste accumulation and pollution.
This type of packaging not only maintains its primary functions of content protection and communication to the consumer, but, like traditional packaging, can also integrate marketing and design elements that encourage the propensity to buy. Sustainable packaging therefore seeks to balance aesthetics with ecological functionality, ensuring that products are packaged in a safe and attractive way for consumers, but without polluting or negatively impacting the environment.
In a context where consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their choices, adopting sustainable packaging represents a concrete commitment to reducing waste and promoting a circular economy. This type of packaging facilitates recycling and reuse, making possible a second life for materials and reducing dependence on virgin raw materials. Furthermore, sustainable packaging can help to strengthen consumer confidence in companies by improving brand perception and building a positive reputation based on values of responsibility and respect for the environment.
Sustainable packaging: the main materials used
Sustainable packaging is distinguished by the use of materials designed to reduce environmental impact and foster a circular economy. Among the most used materials are paper, translucent paper and cellulose, particularly appreciated because they are biodegradable and easily recyclable. These materials are often used to make boxes, bags and wrappers that combine strength and lightness while reducing the environmental impact during the production phase. Virgin wood fiber and corrugated board are other widely used materials, particularly suitable for protective packaging due to their robustness, while maintaining a high recyclability.
Recycled plastic also plays an important role in sustainable packaging, allowing plastic waste to be revived by reducing the use of virgin raw materials and CO2 emissions. This material is used to create secondary packaging such as bottles, trays and containers, maintaining high performance of resistance and protection. Using recycled plastic can therefore help reduce environmental pollution, effectively integrating into a circular economy strategy.
Innovative materials such as PLA (Polylactic Acid) and Mater-Bi are revolutionizing the packaging industry thanks to their biodegradable and compostable characteristics. PLA is a bioplastic derived from renewable resources such as corn starch, which offers similar performance to traditional plastic but with very low impact on the environment. Mater-Bi, produced from plant sources such as corn starch and oils, is used to create compostable packaging that decomposes naturally, helping to reduce the amount of waste. These materials represent a significant step forward in the transition to more environmentally friendly packaging, as they combine functionality and environmental friendliness, offering versatile solutions for a wide range of products.
Benefits of sustainable packaging
Sustainable packaging can offer many benefits, both for companies and the environment. From an environmental perspective, the use of recyclable, biodegradable or compostable materials significantly reduces the negative impact on the planet by helping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and reducing the pollution caused by plastic. The main advantages of sustainable packaging include:
- lower CO2 emissions: the production of recycled or biodegradable materials requires less energy than the production of traditional materials, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the ecological footprint;
- logistics optimisation: lighter packaging and smaller volumes improve transport efficiency, reducing logistics costs and product handling emissions.
For companies, the adoption of sustainable packaging can represent a competitive advantage and an opportunity to meet the expectations of increasingly environmentally-conscious consumers. The main advantages for companies include:
- improving brand reputation: a visible commitment to sustainability strengthens consumer confidence, building loyalty and differentiating the company from competitors;
- competitive advantage: paying attention to sustainability and investing in the use of eco-friendly packaging can attract those customers who prefer to buy from companies committed to reducing their environmental impact;
- long-term cost reduction: the use of sustainable or recycled materials reduces resource consumption and improves efficiency in packaging management, reducing production and disposal costs.
Emerging trends in sustainable packaging
The sustainable packaging industry is increasingly oriented towards integrating advanced digital technologies, in particular those related to traceability and tracing of packaging throughout the supply chain. Thanks to tools such as RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification), GPS and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, packaging is becoming "intelligent", allowing real-time monitoring of transport conditions, inventory management and product quality. These technologies allow end-to-end mapping of packaging flows, giving a complete overview of the movements of packaging from production through distribution and sales. The ability to collect data in real time helps companies optimize their operations, improve resource management and reduce waste by aligning with sustainability goals.
This drive towards digital innovation in packaging is closely linked to the new EU Regulation on packaging and waste, part of the European Green Deal. The Regulation sets targets to prevent waste generation and promote recycling, and requires that by 2030 all packaging on the European market is reusable or recyclable. In particular, the standards encourage the adoption of more sustainable materials, the reduction of unnecessary packaging and the increased use of secondary raw materials, thus helping to reduce dependence on primary natural resources.
The Regulation is a key step in the process of ecological transition, prompting companies to rethink their business models and invest in more environmentally friendly and innovative packaging solutions.
The importance of proper labeling for more sustainable packaging
Proper labeling is essential during the packaging process as it allows not only to inform the consumer about the characteristics of the product, but also to provide essential information on the disposal of the packaging, thus facilitating responsible behavior and more efficient waste management.
Clear and detailed labels, which specify the composition of the packaging and instructions for recycling, allow consumers to properly differentiate between materials, helping to promote the circular economy. Labels do not only have an informative function; they are also essential to ensure the traceability and traceability of products, important aspects to guarantee sustainability throughout the production chain.
In this context, weigh price labelers are essential machinery to ensure that the labeling process meets all required standards, as they allow a label to be associated with each product which contains crucial information such as weight, the price, date of packaging and production batch, but also information on the manufacturer, type of material and disposal of the packaging. This data is essential to monitor the path of each product, from production to sale, ensuring transparency and information security.
In addition, the use of weight-pricing machines and smart labeling technologies facilitates compliance with EU traceability regulations by ensuring that every step of the supply chain is documented and verifiable. This improves operational efficiency and the ability to respond quickly to food safety or product quality issues, ensuring that products can be quickly withdrawn from the market when needed. The combination of proper labeling and price-weight technologies ensures that information is accurate and accessible, promoting a more transparent and sustainable product management system.
Nemesis weigh price labelers represent cutting-edge solutions, designed to effectively respond to the needs of the logistics sectors, as regards secondary or tertiary packaging or food, for all types of packaging, including the primary one for handling bulk product with variable weight. Thanks to a wide range of configurations available, these machines adapt easily to any type of packaged product, always ensuring the highest precision in weight calculation and labeling process.
One of the main features of these machines is the ability to print and apply labels in real time, ensuring high precision and speed of execution. Their use essential to maintain production standards that comply with the most stringent quality and safety requirements, reducing errors and ensuring efficient management of the packaging process. Nemesis offers tailor-made solutions, completely customizable according to the specific needs of the customer, with the possibility of integrating perfectly even in the most complex production lines.
For more information on weigh price labelers or other automated weighing systems proposed by Nemesis, contact us!
