Four trends affecting the global packaging industry in 2019 and beyond, identifying the challenges and opportunities that will affect manufacturers, companies, brands and retailers worldwide in the future.

- Connected packaging

The increasing number of people around the world who own connected devices, the increasing advancement of technology connecting packaging and the online world, people's interest in connected packaging has been reignited. Brands can be virtually connected to packaging in a number of ways, including QR codes and other graphic markers, near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth and augmented reality (AR).

For consumers, connected packaging can provide added value to consumers, bring a unique shopping experience, and meet consumers' needs for interactive and personalized shopping. This connectivity can provide unique experiences that make omni-channel shopping possible.

For brands, connected packaging can differentiate products from competing products on store shelves. This not only further spreads product features, but also connects consumers to cyberspace, thereby establishing a direct connection with the purchasers of the product.

Connected packaging presents marketing opportunities to integrate online engagement and interaction into shopping, potentially influencing and driving purchases. At home, this connectivity can increase consumer engagement with brands, enhance the use of branded products and provide an experiential element to product interactions.

All in all, connected packaging can act as a link between the physical and digital shopping worlds, giving brands a degree of control over how their brands and products are presented online, as well as providing engaging content and product-specific information that directly influences purchasing decisions.

- Recycling

Last year, industry headlines were filled with promises from brands and converters to use 100% recyclable materials or 100% recycled packaging. The reality, however, is that few have given sufficient thought to how, where and by whom these materials are supplied and recycled. While recyclable packaging claims have become common, claims containing recycled materials remain rare. The scarcity of high-quality recycled plastic and food safety concerns have made it difficult for recycled materials to be used in food and drink.

For consumers, some may already be in the habit of recycling, but for others, the lack of a convenient way to clean up and sort waste is a barrier to recycling.

For brands, more clearly stating which part of food packaging can be recycled is the number one factor in encouraging consumers to recycle more.

When packaging waste cannot be shipped to other countries or out of sight, there may be significant improvements in recycling facilities. This will boost the capacity of high-quality recycled materials. In the future, there is an opportunity for brands to be part of the solution by committing to using recycled materials in new packaging and adapting to consumer awareness of recycling.

- Reinventing the packaging box

Packaging and branding experts believe that the impact of rapidly evolving e-commerce on global packaging design is far greater than anything the industry has experienced in the past few decades. More and more consumers are shopping online, and branded e-commerce packaging and packaging strategies are changing the face of the industry.

E-commerce presents challenges and opportunities at every step of the supply chain, and brands are meeting the challenges in ways that reduce costs and increase consumer engagement. For the new generation of shelf displays, &lsquo on retailers' websites; Home banners ’ (hero image) and ‘ Unbox ’ Experience, brand marketers have unlimited space to explore. From an environmental perspective, e-commerce has become a catalyst for new ideas in sustainable design.

For consumers, the tone of the brand displayed on the outside of the package and the message conveyed are important purchasing considerations in traditional retail. In e-commerce, brands are increasingly aware of the need to separate the messaging and branding of transport packaging and internal packaging. — The latter will contain design elements that can surprise consumers when they open products online.

For brands, while consumers currently prefer to shop for groceries in physical stores rather than online, the convenience of online shopping will eventually spread to food, beverages and household products. Only with a proven e-commerce packaging strategy can brands design packaging for worst-case distribution scenarios. At the same time, merchants can reap significant financial, social and brand equity gains in e-commerce packaging simply by exploring the use of sustainable packaging optimization elements.

- Zero plastic

Marine plastic pollution has become one of the world's most serious environmental problems, and there is a growing awareness that materials should be treated differently. New explorations such as zero plastic aisles, zero packaging stores and alternative packaging materials allow consumers to actively choose the plastics in the market. There are still challenges to these new ventures.

Zero plastic channel reflects consumers' annoyance with excessive plastic packaging, however, few people are willing to give up the convenience and benefits of plastic packaging in real life." The term "zero plastic" seems simple, but there is no unified definition. Even zero-plastic packaging often contains plant-based plastic, suggesting that the definition of zero-plastic is not clear.

For consumers, zero pack stores offer bulk, unpackaged products. Shoppers are required to bring their own containers and the products are weighed and sold. Consumers can buy only the amount of product they need, avoiding food and packaging waste.

As for brands, they should take immediate action, either to secure a place in the emerging zero plastic market by switching to widely accepted packaging materials, or to engage in discussions that clearly explain the benefits of plastic packaging for products, address concerns about plastic pollution, and provide appropriate solutions to deal with issues at the end of their useful lives.

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