Page 39 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

November-December 2018
www.packagingnews.com.au PACKAGING INNOVATION
PACK EXPO 2018
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Trendspotting in Chicago
Hailed as the biggest show in its history, Pack Expo International, held in Chicago in October,
drew over 50,000 packaging professionals to view the wares of over 2500 exhibitors, among them a sprinkling of Australian companies. PKN was there walking the aisles, spotting trends and meeting friends. Lindy Hughson reports.
T a show of this size – 1.2 million net square feet of exhibition space to be precise – it’s nigh on impossible to walk every aisle, never mind stop at every exhibit in four short days. But I got around to a fair few and spent time observing the key messaging on display and listening to conversations in passing, to arrive at what I believe to be the top trends that capture the essence of Pack Expo 2018 and what made it The Main Event on the packaging exhibition circuit this year. As an aside, the trends identified below are not listed in order of importance, and it’s also worth noting that some of the innovation referenced fits
more than one trend.
1SUSTAINABILITY SERVED UP
With the world’s plastic waste issue a hot topic, combined with the chal- lenges of excessive food waste and limited energy resources, it’s not surprising that sustainability was a prevalent trend. Exhibitors showcased a range of solutions designed to meet brand owners’ sustain- ability commitments and tap into the move towards a regenerative circular
economy. These include packaging and machinery design that enables significant reduction in material usage and produc- tion waste; materials that are recycle- ready or compostable/ biodegradable, and the development of reusable primary packaging.
FreshCo had some striking consumer profiling displays on its stand. One exam- ple was Sustainable Stacy (pictured left) who is “loyal to brands with sustainability commitments, dislikes excessive packag- ing and is likely to purchase products in packaging that extends shelf life, mini- mises environmental impact and supports a regenerative circular economy”.
At Be Green Packaging’s stand, PKN spoke to Michael Newhouse (above right), director of marketing, about the compa- ny’s moulded fibre packaging solutions made from a mixture of renewable materi- als (bamboo and bagasse) that are com- postable, recyclable and biodegradable.
The trays (pictured right) can be made in any Pantone colour, and the moulded pulp surface is compatible with silk screen and laser inkjet printing, or a label. Be Green’s investment in proprietary engineering has resulted in a ‘zero draft angle’ solution, which means straight, no- slant sidewalls.