Packing is ubiquitous and has a profound impact on our daily lives. From minimising food wastage to overall product protection from breakage, packaging has advanced convenience in mobility and handling at lower costs. Over the years, the global packaging industry has grown enormously, driven by a shift in consumer demand for materials.
The concerns regarding packaging are combined with the transition from rigid to flexible trends. The increased demand for packaging has burdened the environment, resulting in unsolved sustainability challenges. We are making bold decisions with commitments to improve sustainability and rethink packaging systems across industries.
Understanding rigid and flexible packaging:
Historically, FMCG companies have been the first to focus on using lightweight packaging materials for their products, ultimately lowering costs. However, more recently, innovations have been made in embedding sustainable materials into rigid and flexible packaging.
The rigid packaging industry has primarily developed at the expense of traditional packaging types such as glass bottles, mason jars, metal cans, etc. It disrupted the industry by providing customers with lightweight and inexpensive packaging solutions. The increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions, the growth of the e-commerce industry, and the rising demand for packaged food and beverage products are some of the factors driving the growth of the rigid plastic packaging industry, which is expected to grow at an annual CAGR of 5.3 per cent until 2028.
Addressing durability:
The concept of packaging started with the idea of preventing the deformation of internal products, which resulted in the emergence of rigid and flexible packaging. These solutions significantly reduce the chances of external damage and deformity. Even during shipping, both packaging solutions are less likely to be affected by cosmetic abrasion.
It is significant to see how rigid packaging materials are still preferred for shipping fragile products. In addition, electronic products still come in rigid packaging materials coupled with protective layers of air pillows or cushions. In such cases, rigid packaging protects the products from external damage. Having said that, the food and cosmetics industries are gradually picking up the flexible packaging trend for its preventive properties.
Sustainability front:
Sustainability has become a standard for packaging solution providers as consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious. This has led to a switch in consumer behaviour and an increased preference for greener initiatives from the brands they associate with. In 2018, India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change announced a ban on certain single-use plastic items such as plastic bags, cups, plates, and straws. This ban was later expanded to include additional single-use plastic items such as plastic cutlery and packaging for certain items.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India works closely with state pollution control boards and other regulatory bodies to ensure that India’s rigid plastic packaging industry operates in an environmentally sustainable manner. The board also encourages the adoption of cleaner production technologies and best practices in the plastic industry, providing technical assistance and training to stakeholders to improve their environmental performance. Hence, a shift from single-use to multi-use packaging material is the need of the hour.
Packaging industry stakeholders are becoming more socially responsible and offering biodegradable materials that take significantly less time to decompose. The decision to shift to recyclable packaging can be made by adopting various testing methods. Flexible packaging testing methods help in checking seam strength and leakage, while rigid testing methods examine dimensions and overfill capacity. After considering the durability, storage, protection, leakage, and sustainability of the packaging material they are procuring, brands should strategically switch towards sustainable packaging solutions.