How to renew your corporate image: because (only) packaging is no longer enough

Plastic baskets, punnets and trays, corrugated cardboard bags, packaging with nets and sustainable packaging represent part of the solutions used as packaging in the fruit and vegetable sector. A complex and articulated world bonded to movements to which fresh fruit and vegetables are subjected. There are numerous needs to be met: from transportation to fruit and vegetable companies to point of sales, whether they are wholesale markets or linked to large-scale modern distribution. Whatever the fate of these products, the primary objective is to ensure that they arrive perfectly packed and intact on the shelves of the reference department. Corrugated cardboard for better storage This type of packaging has now reached a market share of 35% and a production of around 600 million pieces per year. Thanks to its high flexibility, both in terms of storage and transport, it is a solution that is well suited to the fruit and vegetable supply chain. A study conducted by the University of Bologna-Department of Agri-Food Science and Technology found that fruit and vegetables, if stored in corrugated cardboard packaging rather than in other types of packaging, have a 20% higher degree of conservation. Read also: Why (it is important) to recycle corrugated cardboard: the benefits Reusable plastic The plastic packaging department is mainly divided into two macro-areas: Disposable plastic trays Plastic returnable trays The second category is in turn represented by reusable plastic packaging at: Folding sides Fixed sides EURepack (European Reusable Packaging & Reverse Logistics Consortium) Active consortium that promotes the spread of reusable packaging to replace "disposable" packaging, highlights how the use of this type of material reduces negative effects on the environment and lowers the costs of transport, thanks to the compact and less cumbersome structure of the boxes. According to the Consortium, moreover, reusable packaging finds its greatest use precisely in the large-scale distribution of the fruit and vegetable chain where the usage index exceeds 50%. Recyclable wood According to Assoimballaggi, the National Association of Wood, Pallet, Cork and Logistics Services Industries, the companies producing wooden crates for fruit and vegetables amount to around 200 in Italy for an annual turnover of around 200 million euros. In the fruit and vegetable sector, the main products are: Bins: used to transport products to storage centers Wooden boxes: for transportation from storage centers to distribution to the end customer. Light or 'disposable' pallets: material that is not reusable due to its construction and structural characteristics, suitable for a single use. The wooden packaging, especially the boxes used to house fruit and vegetables, can be recycled thanks to the nonprofit Consortium Rilegno, born following the Legislative Decree 22/97 (Ronchi Decree) with the aim of directing a correct management of the waste coming from packaging. Recyclable and reusable packaging for the fruit and vegetables sector Although corrugated cardboard represents the primary choice in terms of packaging for the fruit and vegetable sector, thanks to its flexibility of use and better food preservation, we have been able to note that the other types of packaging, plastic and wood, are also increasingly moving towards recyclable and reusable - and therefore eco-sustainable - materials in order to support the environment and reduce production costs. You may be interested in: Food packaging: how and what to do to win customers over

Shrink film is one of the most often used packaging in the Food & Beverage sector. This type of packaging is suitable for manual and automatic lines and represents an optimal way to seal products. While representing an economic and sustainable method, perfect for the needs of large retailers, at the same time its environmental impact cannot be denied when it becomes waste. The shrink film, if not made with biodegradable films, often becomes a mere waste without any possibility of being differentiated. The question to ask, therefore, is: is shrink film always necessary? The ecological alternatives to shrink film More and more consumers today are demanding sustainable packaging for the products they buy. This trend is encouraged by a greater green culture and a wider awareness of the damage caused by global warming and climate change, mainly due to a lifestyle based solely on use and consumption. Recycling is now a reality to which consumers are accustomed, but at the same time the latter are always looking for a product that has a packaging that can be easy to differentiate. For shrink film, however, this may not always be the case. In addition to the production of biodegradable films or films made of recycled plastic that can be used in contact with food, one wonders if the shrink film is really indispensable for the Beverage sector. As for the bottles, the shrink wrap performs the function of transporting several bottles at the same time. Let's think, for example, of the classic water packaging, where the bottles are held together by the wrapper. In these cases, transport solutions in other materials, such as corrugated cardboard, can also be used. This is the revolution brought about by ECOGRIP. Cardboard packaging: a sustainable resource With ECOGRIP a new approach to packaging opens up. The product was developed by Blue Box Partners, the European alliance of cardboard packaging manufacturers to which Sada and Sandra belong thanks to their participation in the Cart-One network. The aim was to provide a sustainable alternative for bottle transport. ECOGRIP offers the possibility of eliminating the shrink film in favor of a 100% biodegradable solution, coming from recycled raw materials and in turn recyclable. ECOGRIP was conceived on the basis of an Eco - design philosophy that avoids wasting raw materials while maximizing results.

From aesthetics to environmental sustainability, packaging must meet increasingly specific needs from consumers and the environment. Packaging Trends 2023: all the new packaging developments. Nowadays, packaging must focus on aspects that go beyond aesthetics, but also on issues regarding sustainability and the adoption of materials that respect the planet. And then there is the e-commerce factor, a sector that is growing dramatically day by day, and which requires increasingly cutting-edge packaging and digital printing technologies.   Read also: “How the energy crisis impacts the supply of paper and cardboard”   Greater demand for corrugated cardboard Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, consumer purchases have changed radically. Consequently, companies had to adapt to the new “normal” by creating an online store to continue selling their products. The data confirms it: 30% of companies moved online during the peak of the pandemic, with the resulting significant growth of the e-commerce sector. A trend that will continue to grow in the future. Indeed, thanks to the use of smartphones and the accessibility of more digital technologies, 95% of all purchases will be made online by 2040.   E-commerce retail sales will continue to rise, with estimates of around 20% annual growth for electronic commerce in Europe; global online sales are expected to exceed 5.5 trillion dollars in 2023, which will have a profound impact on packaging demand, especially in the corrugated cardboard industry, affecting 80% of the demand for products sold online. This results in an increasingly complex supply chain for direct-to-consumer delivery, considering that packages sold via e-commerce are handled up to 20 times or more during standard distribution. All this translates into a new demand for corrugated cardboard packaging. Packaging that is increasingly resistant, safe, robust, and versatile, therefore capable of containing, protecting, and transporting the various types of products within.   More and more digital printing Digital printing will be increasingly important for the packaging world in 2023. With the higher demand for corrugated cardboard, in fact, companies will choose increasingly high-performance materials that can be printed optimally. This results in higher brand customization, certainly thanks to a quality of the latest technologies that is significantly superior compared to the past. With these technological developments, brands will want higher customer loyalty and engagement, and packaging will do nothing but help create a memorable purchasing experience to share through social media, also attracting new users and generating more conversions.   Custom fit-to-product packaging Again thanks to the explosion of e-commerce and the needs of its sellers, the fit-to-product (FtP) or box-on-demand system will be increasingly important, a technology that allows the production of custom packaging based on the exact dimensions of the product to be packed, including irregular shapes. In this way, the end user will no longer need to hold large stocks of standard-sized boxes that often require abundant amounts of void-fill material. Gradually, with the increased request for FtP platforms, there will be more demand for cardboard sold as fanfold.   Retail-ready formats Shelf ready packaging, intended for retail sale, is establishing itself more and more as a tool to save costs for retailers, especially in Western Europe. A factor derived from greater sales pressure, also as a solution to save labor, since it is estimated that these packaging formats can reduce shelf-replenishment and handling costs by up to 50%, while also providing greater control over the presentation of goods within the retail space.   Sustainable packaging Corrugated cardboard is easy to recycle and can be converted into new packaging cardboard production. This also results in an increased demand for corrugated protective formats compared to polymer-based alternatives, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams. Consumer goods companies are increasingly committed to modifying existing packaging and ensuring that new versions are more sustainable through the lightweighting strategy, which reduces the size and weight of the packaging, so that products are lighter and the carbon footprint during transport is lowered. The importance of lightweighting will continue to be felt in the coming years, as retailers need to save on costs and attract end users. To be considered, obviously, is that environmental labeling will come into force from January 1st, 2023, so it will be mandatory to communicate the final destination of the packaging, with an indication of all the materials it is made of. The purpose is to facilitate the collection, reuse, recovery, and recycling of packaging, as well as to increase consumer awareness on the subject of sustainability.   More conscious design for the beauty sector The global packaging market is booming, and it is destined to grow by nearly 3% year-on-year between now and 2028, to a value of 1.2 trillion dollars. For the beauty industry, packaging is no longer just a means for transporting products; it is the mirror of the brand and its values, of its commitment to people and the planet. For this reason, for the 2023/24 season, cosmetic packaging design will be more ecologically conscious through regenerative design systems, where the packaging will improve the ecosystem and protect biodiversity. There will be more and more compostable materials, packaging based on carbon capture, and materials derived from waste and by-products. Furthermore, thanks to new post-pandemic values, such as self-care and inclusion, more space will be given to experiences, cultures, and individual realities with the development of micro-dose packaging and universal packaging. The choice of materials will also be made to stimulate interaction, thanks to tactile and sensory textures like suede or the matte-velvety effect, and packaging that will strengthen the person-product connection. In addition, packaging will have increasingly evolving shapes: from single-dose sachets that seal the key moments of the beauty routine to magnetic single-dose miniatures, packed in soluble sachets and pods, completely recyclable and compostable, while large-sized refills will stay at home and be used to refill travel containers when necessary. Everything, clearly, from the perspective of sustainability.   There is talk of four materials that will be the protagonists of the new packaging in the coming years: mycelium, seaweed, cork, and hemp. Mycelium packaging has already made giant strides: durable, resistant, and lightweight, it has the capacity to decompose in the ground within 90 days, also reducing costs along the entire supply chain. Seaweed will be increasingly available from 2024; it does not require fresh water, land, or fertilizer, and grows 20-30 times more than land-based agriculture, so as to replace single-use plastic. Cork and hemp paper are already available and both come from regenerative agricultural practices. If these materials continue to be used, it will certainly facilitate the transition to regenerative crops with a new longevity for packaging.   The future of food and drink packaging 2023 Packaging related to the food and drink sector is a fundamental communication vehicle, which must constantly adapt to consumer expectations. In recent years, to respond more and more to environmental, social, and economic sustainability needs, packaging has also taken on an ethical role, keeping track of our purchasing choices regarding the environment. 2023 packaging, therefore, will put sustainability, value, technology, and appealing aesthetics at the center, choosing more sustainable materials, but also more optimistic designs and colors, especially after the long global post-pandemic period. The colors will be simple and reassuring, as well as versatile: soft and classic base colors that will produce a sense of security in consumers. Furthermore, 2023 packaging will find inspiration in nature: consumers will find serenity and pleasure in nature, appreciating it for its healing benefits and nurturing a deep desire to preserve it. Food and beverage ingredients for wellness and self-care will be fundamental, as will natural processes for packaging. Packaging must be created from natural regenerative and biodiverse fibers and products must be made from processes that increase biodiversity and leave no trace. The trend colors will be optimistic and emotional, with a delicate balance between natural earth tones and bright colors, for a perfect harmony with a consumer who seeks their own well-being and that of the earth.   Find out more: “Environmental labeling in packaging: what Italian regulations say”