Three Trends from Natural Products Expo West Shaping the Future of Packaging

Three Trends from Natural Products Expo West Shaping the Future of Packaging

Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) recently attended Natural Products Expo West, the largest natural, organic, and healthy products event in the U.S., to learn more about emerging products, market trends, and how small and medium brands are thinking about packaging. Following our attendance and exhibition, we’ve highlighted three main packaging trends from the event: Sustainability, Brand Expression and Co-Packing Relationships.

Here is our take on how to satisfy and maintain loyal consumers, strengthen, and extend your brand through your packaging, and navigate co-packer relationships.

__Sustainable Packaging Benefits Consumers __

With consumers fiercely attracted to recyclable packaging material, four states have passed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation designed to shift the cost of paying for waste management and recycling from municipalities to producers. This shift places the burden on packaging producers and brand owners to improve the sustainability of their packaging and is designed to encourage a circular economy through package design, use of recycled material, and increased recycling of packaging.

We know consumers are demanding more sustainable packaging. Not only was sustainable packaging a prominent theme at Natural Products Expo West, but the Mintel Sustainability Barometer 2022 Report also states that consumers want their products in sustainable packaging that helps the environment. Specifically, Generation Z is known for their passion for social and environmental issues and is looking for package design that illustrates a company’s commitment to creating positive environmental change.

With 12 additional states introducing EPR bills in 2023, and increasing customer desire for sustainable packaging, it is imperative that brand owners and packaging producers take this opportunity now to reevaluate and shift to more sustainable packaging.

Despite misconceptions, recent research shows that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging is a more environmentally friendly option, compared to both glass bottles and aluminum cans. Not only is PET plastic infinitely recyclable through advanced recycling, but PET bottles also release less greenhouse gas emissions than aluminum and glass, consume less energy when produced, and can be made with 100% recyclable material.

Packaging is Brand Expression

PET packaging benefits extend far beyond their recyclability and embodiment of the circular economy. PET packaging also supports an improved consumer experience. PET packaging is shatter-proof and protected from extreme temperatures and breakage throughout its entire journey, from producer to consumer to being recycled and having a second life. This ensures the consumer receives a product that tastes fresh, is not spoiled or damaged, and creates the most positive experience due to it being reclosable and resealable, all while being fully recyclable.

PET packaging also helps express a brand’s identity. ARP partnered with Function of Beauty to align its product packaging with their sustainability and growth goals – moving from 100% virgin resin bottles to bottles made from 100% recycled PET. Function of Beauty packages all their formulations in clear, uniform bottles to showcase their formula, scent, and a rainbow of colors. The key was securing recycled material that achieved unparalleled clarity and performance – every time – so the change in the bottle would go unnoticed by consumers. ARP and Function of Beauty collaborated and sourced premium-grade resin made of 100% recycled content (rPET). Using rPET, a premium-grade recyclable material, ARP delivered a bottle with clarity and uniformity that allowed the distinctive, vibrant shades of the product to be the star.

Additionally, by converting the Function of Beauty bottles from 100% virgin to 100% recycled material, Function of Beauty saved 350,000 pounds of virgin resin a year, resulting in a 44% savings in greenhouse gas emissions. This transition to 100% recycled material ensured Function of Beauty maintained authenticity to their brand identity’s sustainability goals and extended their brand into their packaging.

Another way to extend your brand into your packaging is through aesthetics and package design. The Mintel Sustainability Barometer 2022 Report recommends focusing on aesthetics when designing packaging to attract and satisfy millennial consumers and their appeal to aesthetics. While budgets and time often create roadblocks to revamping packaging, pre-form packaging offers brands a solution to create unique and appealing packaging without requiring a large financial investment for new custom bottles. Brand owners and customers can use cool labels and colors to personalize stock preforms to completely revamp and highlight their brand through packaging.

__Co-packer Relationships __

Another key step toward successful, sustainable packaging is navigating relationships with co-packers.

Traditionally, the co-packer is a resource, a supplier, and a partner for delivering products to the market. Behind the scenes, co-packers can be the gatekeepers of packaging and reflect their own preferences, unique capabilities, suppliers, and ideas. Brand owners should take the reins when working with co-packers to ensure their brand identity and intentions are not lost in the process of scaling production.

Here are a few things to think about when collaborating with co-packers:

• Understand how to preserve, protect, and promote your product. Companies must understand what is required to properly preserve, protect, and promote their product successfully. Only then can you effectively communicate your product needs to a co-packer and execute successful mass production.
• Understand your brand identity. If the intentions behind your brand are not understood clearly internally, it will be challenging to communicate your intentions and identity to a co-packer, often leading to misalignment between the two parties.
• Understand your packaging expectations. How does your packaging fit into your brand? How are you reporting on sustainability metrics? What does the consumer expect from your brand and your packaging?
• Choose a co-packer that aligns with your needs. We encourage brand owners to be selective when choosing the co-packer that aligns best with your sustainability needs as a brand owner.

That is a wrap on ARP’s findings from Natural Products Expo West and future packaging trends. Present day consumers desire sustainable packaging that communicates a brand’s identity. Understanding this packaging trend and being able to communicate your needs with a copacker are essential to maintaining a loyal consumer base and strengthening your business.

To learn more about the benefits of PET packaging, visit: www.amcor.com/chooseplasticbottles