Sustainability is not an optional add-on, but rather an essential part of business for the packaging industry, Food Production Daily reports.
In a column for the industry publication, Sam Shepherd-Fidler, Smithers Pira operations director of distribution and product testing, highlights five consumer trends shaking up the packaging industry.
Sustainability, he writes, is no. 1, as consumers change their buying habits based on environmental issues. Buyers want to know how a product was made, where it comes from and its recyclability. Communicating a commitment to sustainability on packaging is key to attracting and keeping customers, Shepherd-Fidler says.
Sustainable packaging will be a key growth area in 2014 and beyond, according to Frost & Sullivan’s predictions for the global chemical, materials and food industry.
Image Credit: Recyclable packaging via Shutterstock