Packaging, marketing, and sustainability thought leaders share their opinions with Fast Company about what consumer goods packaging will look like in the future. Fast Company brings together an all-star panel of consumer packaged goods companies...

In recent months, collaborations are evolving from time-limited, two-party partnerships into perpetual, multi-stakeholder coalitions that look like microcosms of entire supply chains. These are also morphing from what once were linear, downstream efforts into circular,...

The impact of plastic waste on the environment has become a pressing global issue, and the food industry has been a significant contributor to the problem. In recent years, there has been a growing interest...

Early in my career, I was fortunate to have strong mentors. These men and women—primarily my editors and publishers—instilled in me that my job as a reporter was one small but important part of a...

The connected worker model combines the human element with applications or software integrated into a company’s environment and connects them to various departments — such as operators and maintenance teams. Tablets and smartphones connected to...

When it comes to selling and marketing flexible packaging, the efforts must include showing end consumers and policymakers the benefits, as well, several experts point out. To that end, Alana Carr, inside sales and marketing...

When marijuana was illegal under state and federal laws, it was sold stereotypically in small plastic baggies. But now that nearly 40 U.S. states have given a green light to cannabis use, whether for medical...

After taking a back seat to supply constraints during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability has returned to the driver’s seat with sales and marketing efforts. However, agility is an essential element in an...

The process of developing new packaging ideas in a large corporation—the road to innovation—never has been easy. But the journey still can be fun, suggests William A. Singleton III, global packaging director at Mars Wrigley...

I’ve lost count of the number of conversations I’ve had surrounding the skills gap and what companies can do to attract the next-generation workforce (Generation Z). With 2.1 million manufacturing jobs predicted to be unfilled...

With ecommerce sales continuing to grow, shipping companies like FedEx, DHL, United Parcel Service (UPS), and the US Postal Service (USPS) have a depth of knowledge about ecommerce packaging, including what works and what doesn’t....

No matter what lies ahead for your brand in 2023, whether you’re launching a product line or looking to spruce up your visual presentation, here are some of the approaches you can take to better...

Suppliers and manufacturers to the U.S. cosmetics and personal beauty care products industry at risk of higher import costs, reduction in operations, and more. Flexible aluminum foil packaging is an essential component of most cosmetic...

The key to success for recycled-content packaging lies in meeting various state regulatory demands, along with sustainability initiatives such as those developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF). Let’s be honest, though: There are costs...

As the cost of energy skyrockets and sustainability concerns stay strong, manufacturers need to conserve consumption without compromising on performance. Here’s how. COVID, triple pandemic, war, supply chain disruption, maybe a recession — all of...

Extended producer responsibility, track and trace, and deposit return schemes will all undoubtedly be key drivers of innovation throughout the next year and beyond. But what role could smart packaging play to facilitate these new...

A look at what’s likely ahead triggers that déjà vu feeling. But we still have to be prepared and, in many ways, we are not. It’s that time to think about what’s coming and why...

State policymakers will have a busy year in 2023 as they seek to regulate the packaging industry, with measures expected on extended producer responsibility (EPR), labeling requirements, and recycled-content mandates, says Dan Felton, executive director...

Two college undergraduates approach a display created by high school students who are competing in the PACK Challenge, an effort by organizers at PACK EXPO International to raise awareness about the packaging industry and appeal...

Food packaging science responded in 2022 as supply chains were strained and food and packaging costs increased. This resulted in a renewed emphasis on using packaging to protect and ensure the authenticity of food ingredients...

Known as “chemicals of concern,” PFAS were typically used as a grease barrier for paper and paperboard foodservice packaging. Take a look at the activity in reducing PFAS in food packaging over the last seven...

No longer a trend limited to the young, product sustainability continues to rise in importance across all demographics. Recent research from First Insight and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania shows all four...

A handful of events or trends I spotted in 2022 will significantly impact the trajectory of the sustainable packaging market in the future. As you might expect, some of these are inter-related. Also, some of...

Creating an exceptional experience for your customers extends beyond the purchasing process; it even goes into the packaging and delivery of your products arriving at their house. Although the sales conversion has already been made,...

For brands, understanding the immediate and future impact on consumers in this new landscape can feel like a re-learning. Interestingly, a white paper by trend forecasting experts WGSN, called Future Consumer 2024 has identified the...

The annual “State of the Flexible Packaging Industry Report,” recently released by the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), provides industry converters, suppliers, investors, and analysts with insight into the performance of the U.S. flexible packaging industry...

In the milestone years that roll around in intervals of five, we look back and look ahead. The flexible packaging industry has always been subject to the whims of market forces, but the groundswell of...

Every three years, Michigan-based packaging consultant PTIS, LLC sends detailed surveys to leaders throughout the packaging value chain to get their insights into the future. The survey isn’t a simple email blast to random con­tacts....