Sustainable Plastics - January/February 2022 - 22

sustainable packaging
The biggest
sustainability
packaging
trends to
watch in 2022
Mick Clark
reviews the top
sustainability
packaging trends
that will be big
in 2022.
C
22
onsumers are becoming
more concerned
with brands'
sustainability eff orts,
particularly when it comes to
packaging waste. And with new
laws soon to be introduced next
year to reduce single-use plastics
and slash plastic pollution,
many companies will need to
adapt their packaging to meet
these new regulations. According
to Mick Clark of WePack
Ltd., six of the most important
trends are the following:
#1 Zero-waste packaging
Zero-waste has become a big
trend in recent years, as more
consumers grow increasingly
concerned over their packaging
waste. From the beauty industry
to supermarkets, we're
January/February 2022
seeing growing calls for more
packaging-free options.
For some brands, going
packaging-free has been hugely
successful. Popular cosmetics
and toiletries brand Lush
has gained worldwide notoriety
thanks to its innovative
approach to sustainability and
packaging.
However, the diff iculty many
brands face going packaging-free
is how to protect their
product.
There are practical considerations
to be made - those with
physical stores may be able to
implement a bring-your-owncontainer
imitative for certain
products - but for those businesses
that operate online,
packaging-free solutions are far
trickier to cater to.
Moreover, the eff iciency of
packaging-free initiatives for
perishable goods, such as fresh
fruit and veg, will largely depend
on consumer behaviours.
For example, businesses would
need to rely on enough customers
buying the product within a
short window to use up stock
before it goes past its shelf life.
Packaged fresh foods, on
Sustainable Plastics - January/February 2022

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