Environmentally conscious consumers rule the day, and packaging is often the first element considered when making an eco-friendly purchase. Grocery shoppers are savvy enough to know which packages use fewer resources and energy than other packaging formats. With sustainability now a priority, consumer packaged goods (CPGs) companies expect their packaging equipment to push the limits of packaging materials, according to the 2017 PMMI State of the Industry U.S. Packaging Machinery Report, produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.
CPGs are spending more on packaging made of sustainable materials, including recycled corrugated cardboard, high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) and recycled polyethylene (rPET) film. With meat and other proteins, packaging solutions obviously must still protect the product despite taking on a thinner, less-intrusive profile. Sustainable lightweight materials, especially for flexible packaging, pose a protection challenge and add another barrier to shelf life and freshness.