As the regulatory framework imposes more and more sustainability on manufacturers, the packaging industry is undergoing a major transformation. And All4Pack, a trade show dedicated to packaging, has sought to find out how the industry’s players are approaching the evolution of packaging materials towards more responsible models.
To carry out this survey, All4Pack questioned 211 companies exhibiting at the show. In general, 88% of the companies surveyed believe that using more responsible materials is a priority issue. The reasons for this transition are:
• Consumer expectations (69%)
• Image benefits (56%)
• Changes in legislation (49%)
“On the other hand, the brakes expressed are, not surprisingly, the cost of using environmentally friendly packaging materials (63%) and, further away, the availability (43%) and quality of materials (37%), brakes perceived more by the user industries (43%) than by the suppliers (27%),” underlines All4Pack.
Paper/cardboard (77%) and plastic (73%) remain the main materials used for packaging. Biomaterials are still at the margin (18%). However, 37% of respondents say they want to start using them in the next two years.
And in this vein of sustainability, we should expect manufacturers to rely less on plastic. But it’s not going away, as only 3.6% of respondents plan to stop using it.
So it’s an industry that is ready for change. Consumer pressure and stricter regulations have contributed to this sustainable revolution. Nevertheless, price and availability of certain materials are major issues for the industry.
