The COVID-19 pandemic changed every part of our lives.
One area that is changing at a fantastic rate is the packaging. While the products themselves will need to change over the next few years, in many cases, the packaging needs to change now.
What is changing?
There are several changes happening at the same time because of the pandemic or being pushed along faster by it.
- Changing Brand Loyalty – Customers are becoming loyal to brands that display the same values they do. Gone are the days when an excellent product and a good advertising campaign were enough; now companies must display, openly and forcefully, a set of values that consumers can be a part of.
- Digital Engagement – If consumers can get something digitally, they are far more likely to do it that way.
- Sustainability – Not only do the items need to be sustainable, but the packaging needs to be more sustainable. Recycled and recyclable packaging is mandatory. Reusable packaging is becoming the norm where the customer will use the packaging and then return it to be used again.
- Value Chain Movement – The move away from traditional work processes is permanent. The most agile production companies will survive the move but others will thrive by outsourcing and making their products as flexible as the value chain movements.
The fastest changing area right now is in packaging. While we’re not ready to give up the creature comforts in our lives, we want the packaging they come in to not be around for the rest of eternity.
Even the chemical composition of products and packaging is changing. A new bill in California, USA, will eliminate “forever” chemicals, chemicals that don’t break down. That’s going to change everything from packaging to how some items are marketed. As California goes, so goes the US, even if slowly. As with much of Europe, California leads to changes that will be seen in other places. This will impact not only the manufacturing of packaging but also the recycling of that packing, and all equipment that goes along with that.
Most significantly in the short-term, it means retooling manufacturing machinery to make products from “new,” often recycled and/or recyclable, materials. This is especially true for packaging manufacturers where some sectors are changing their formulas every few months to keep up with environmental regulations, consumer demand, and technology.
In the longer term, it means companies need to be agile, prepared to change in a few months or even weeks. Retooling products, changing components, chemicals, and packaging will require that we’re ready to give up old ways quickly. The old ways were great, but the challenge going forward will be to be better stewards of the environment while still maintaining healthy profit margins.
