In terms of sustainability and innovative packaging, the packaging industry has made tremendous progress. The plastic packaging is facing increasing competition. There have been significant breakthroughs and updates in the packaging world over the years to make package designs more desirable for customers and more environmentally friendly. The packaging industry is an enormous economic generator on a global scale. Industry and consumer trends for packaging drive this enormous growth rate. The packaging is a broad industry term for the design work and technology going into protecting or enclosing every kind of product destined for shipping, storage, and sale. Packaging also takes into account the marketing efforts of the product manufacturer. The way they package their products signifies the brand for leading manufacturers. They view packaging as an important part of their business model. Over the past decade, we’ve seen no shortage of packaging improvements by companies. And these few innovative packaging ideas represent some of the most far-reaching and promising efforts we’ve come across.

Packaging innovative ideas

A) Zero Waste Packaging

The use of natural plant life as a source of packaging can cut down packaging waste. To combat the massive amount of trash produced by the world, bamboo and cassava can be used. Zero-waste packaging can be created by leftover scraps from the chopstick manufacturing process. Eventually, plastic bags, Styrofoam boxes, or anything that will result in the trash that can’t be recycled or decomposed can be replaced with zero-waste packaging. It encourages reuse and recycling of packaging. The best examples of zero-waste packaging are glass bottles of soft drinks or returnable glass milk bottle. A move from plastic packaging will allow manufacturers and consumers to reuse packaging, leaving behind no waste. On other cases, the packaging can be recycled completely, or the packaging biodegrades without causing any harm to the environment. Some of the most commonly used zero-waste packaging solutions are –

•    Eco-friendly alternatives to plastics
•    Waste Transformation Packaging
•    Bring Your Own Packaging
•    Incorporating New Packaging Materials
•    Plastic-free Labeling

B) Skin Pack

In the packaging industry, food and food packaging waste is a big concern. And to tackle this problem, the first of its kind, a skin pack aluminum poultry tray and film combination can be used. The tin is shaped around the food, which is vacuum packed. Doing this would protect the poultry from oxygen to increase the shelf life by a maximum of 300%. Besides, the packaging design also has a temperature range of -40 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius. Compared to the other packaging design options, the aluminum tray is 100% recyclable making it more environmentally friendly. A great advantage of the Skin Pack is it’s easy to unpack. The consumer has to just peel off the plastic skin off the poultry, which will then be ready to be placed directly into the oven and onto the table. This innovative packaging design could force competitors to do the same thing or maybe something better to reach the shelf life capacity. This kind of innovative packaging idea will not only sound appealing to grocery stores, but consumers will also be interested in the increase in shelf life.

C) Self Chilling Cans

This new innovative packaging idea of self chilling cans is simple to use. You just have to turn the can upside down, twist the base off to release liquefied CO2 that acts as the active coolant, and wait for only 75 to 90 seconds for a nice and refreshing drink. The drink, which is preserved in a 100% recyclable can, is lowered to about 30 degrees. The self-chilling cans eliminate the need to wait for your drink to get cold, whether it’s through the freezer, refrigerator, or ice cubes. And that’s the reason why these cans are gaining traction as people don’t like to wait. The demand for self-chilling cans is on the rise and can have a significant impact on the beverage industry. The competitors can start manufacturing their own self-chilling cans whether it can be for sports drinks, soda, alcohol, or more.

D) reCup

This is the first fully recyclable paper cup. Unlike standard paper cups, the reCup is made using mineralized resing coating which can break down the cup. Just like any other paper cup, the cup works just like any other paper cup. A great way to reduce waste and this environmentally friendly cup could cause other companies to start making their cups just as environmentally friendly as their competition. With recycling in mind, a reCup is made the way a paper cup should have been made from the start. It uses EarthCoating®, an innovative barrier coating that replaces up to 51% of the plastic with minerals. This mineralized resin blend is employed to be fully compatible with conventional paper recycling systems.

E) Self-Heating Food Packaging

With a self-heating food packaging design, this innovative packaging idea takes convenience to the next level. This instant mini-hotspot will make it easier to bring fresh food on the go. The customers can fill the easy to use hotspot with any instant food that requires water. This includes pasta, soup, rice and more!

This type of water-activated heating pack can be achieved by just adding cold water. And 15 minutes later, your food will be hot and ready to eat. This novel packaging design innovation is perfect for meals on the go when you need a fresh and hot meal and when you don’t have a microwave to heat up your food. Besides, it can also be used for camping, long travel journeys, or when you don’t want dishes after your meal. This type of innovative packaging design could open the doors to more on-the-go meals that make it easier for consumers to purchase meals without the need for a heat source. The demand could push other companies to improve their packaging to allow the heating of their product with water if this product becomes popular.

F) Bees Wrap

One of the unique packaging innovative ideas. The primary source of waste in a household comes from the kitchen, whether it can be plastic wrapping, tinfoil, various types of bags, or more. The process of reducing trash in the kitchen started with Bees Wrap or a plastic bag alternative, or a saran wrap. The bees wrap is made with organic jojoba oil, organic cotton and beeswax, and tree resin. It is washable and reusable, which will eliminate a lot of waste.

The bees wrap is very easy to use. You just have to wrap the product and it will seal with the natural warmth of your body. If it’s placed in the refrigerator, the wrap will always stay on the product. Wash the wrap with soap and water and after one use, and can be used the same way again for about a year. Although it’s slightly more expensive, the reusable aspect will make it worth the investment, especially considering that it can be reusable again and again for a year.

G) Compostable Coffee Capsule

A compostable coffee capsule called Gea has been introduced, which was designed to address environmental issues and to reduce waste associated with coffee.

The capsule will be the first commercialized compostable coffee capsule made from 100% Ingeo and a simple solution to delivering coffee grounds. It will not show any signs of aging for years after production and is also very shelf-stable. The capsules apart from preserving the taste and aroma of the coffee also protect the coffee from oxygen providing better-tasting coffee for consumers.