13/02/2020
THE FLEXIBLE PACKAGING TRENDS IN 2020
Flexible packaging, as a result of the media attention to plastic, is undergoing great innovation: those who want to be in line with the market must evolve, rethink and redesign packaging solutions, offering new products that meet the demands of end consumers.
The keyword is certainly one: sustainability. The challenge that packaging manufacturers are facing is actually the same challenge which is being faced within the various consumer industries: offering products designed and developed taking into account the environmental impact.
So what will the packaging trends be in 2020? Three solutions will dominate the market this year, with three major confirmations: recyclable plastic packaging, packaging recyclable with paper and compostable packaging.
RECYCLABLE PLASTIC PACKAGING
Plastic, increasingly demonised by the media, is actually an important ally in the fight against waste: in fact, it allows products to be preserved optimally, guaranteeing the necessary hygienic conditions and shelf life, especially for the food industry. At the same time, it optimises the use of resources: in fact, it has physical properties, including strength and lightness, which in many cases make it irreplaceable by other materials or replaceable at the cost of a much greater environmental impact.
Therefore, recyclable plastic packaging is an essential resource, not a threat. What can really be done to make it sustainable is to optimise, according to the characteristics of the product to be preserved, the use of resources and focus on recyclable single materials.
SDR PACK has developed two innovative single-material plastic packaging solutions, MOPEK and BAPEK. MOPEK and BAPEK are cutting-edge packaging solutions, because despite the packaging consisting of a single layer of material, they can be used for hot bar packaging, thanks to a type of technology designed and patented by the company.
MOPEK and BAPEK are two different polyethylene monofilms. The former is suitable for products that do not require a barrier and the latter is suitable for packaging products that need a high performance ATM barrier.
The MOPEK and BAPEK recyclable plastic films can be made with graphic customisations and with the application of matte paint, in register or full bleed.
PACKAGING RECYCLABLE WITH PAPER
Another important packaging trend for 2020 will be packaging recyclable with paper according to UNI 11743:2019 and the Aticelca® 501 Evaluation System.
Laminated plastic/paper packaging is highly appreciated by end consumers: it is able to attract attention on the display counters, giving the products an aura of craftsmanship and at the same time modernity, increasing the perception of the value of the product it contains.
The certified recyclable packaging solutions according to UNI 11743:2019 and the Aticelca® 501 Evaluation System are, therefore, increasingly used by manufacturers to protect their products, as they make it possible to combine marketing and communication aspects and guarantee the recyclability of the packaging at its end-of-life.
SDR PACK offers recyclable packaging solutions with Level C paper, designed to ensure excellent machinability of the material during the packaging stage.
COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING
When we talk about trends and innovation in the world of packaging, we cannot omit compostable packaging. Certainly a “young” solution, developed in the last few years and therefore less tried and tested than traditional solutions and continuously evolving.
Compostable packaging is bioplastic packaging, which at its end-of-life can be disposed of separately as “wet waste”. It is important, when it comes to compostable packaging, to ensure the compostability is certified by an accredited certification body, in compliance with standard EN 13432.
SDR PACK offers several compostable packaging solutions that are OK COMPOST INDUSTRIAL-certified by TUV AUSTRIA: from barrier and non-barrier monofilms, to combinations of laminated compostable packaging for ATM barrier, also available in a metallised version. Even compostable packaging can be customised graphically, in compliance with the limits imposed by the regulations.