Next packaging 2021 and new consumers? Here are the data.

Next packaging design means understanding the consumer market expectations. Here are the results that will guide the designer's choices to sell goods to the new normal Italian consumers.

Flexo 24 is a smart tool for any flexographic professional, even for the most skilled, that will manage the 1-bit tiff files, read this article. Our service helps graphic operators, designers or pre-press operators to supply plates for the best flexo print. But what do they need to engineer the most suitable packaging?

The 2020 consumer’s market is evolving.

In association with the consulting company Nomisma, we present a report from the results collected from the Observatory for the Packaging Consumer’s market through the survey conducted among over 1,000 Italian sales managers.

The results involve the different relations between the consumers and the packaging that they buy. These relations influence the designer’s choices for the consumer’s Italian market goods that will be shortly displayed on the shelves with a next packaging.

What do consumers look for in 2021?

Their need can be summed up with “sustainable packaging”. The consumption of packed food products has been growing since the first lockdown. Food for provisions increased in the consumer’s market, raising the request of packed products by over 5% than the previous year.

The Istituto Italiano Imballaggio (Italian institute for packaging) also reveals that in 2020 the Italian market stood out for its increase in the turnover (+3%) and in production in terms of tons.

Who are the end consumers and what are their tastes in this market full of packaging?

Both consumers and their behavior in buying have been changing during the pandemic.

Consumers’ inclination in giving a higher value to sustainable products is a message that all the businesses involved in the packaging supply chain must take into account. These companies will also have economic benefits from their sustainability-oriented strategies, from the introduction of the next packaging.

The Italian website “Il fatto alimentare” collected the results from the consumers’ behavior as to labels.

During the last 12 months, there was an increase in the sales of products displaying on their labels low- or no-sugars. Products with other indications in the ingredient list like the reduced content of saturated fats and hydrogenated fats recorded a negative trend.

The first eco-friendly material for packaging comes from Italy: it’s the first biodegradable film.

The first completely biodegradable cling film is called “Leaf” and can be disposed of in the organic waste, finally including a plastic wrapping into a circular economy process.

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The survey reveals the features of the next packaging for the consumers.

The results help to drive the choices in designing and draw attention to the fact that consumers did not shift their focus from their care for the environment even during the sanitary emergency:

And more:

• In Italy one in 5 chooses sellers on the basis of products’ sustainability.
• Nearly 100% of the interviewed want to know how to recycle the packaging they are using following the instructions on the package itself, which are (almost always) missing now.
• Italians prefer paper packaging because it is perceived as a good material for decreasing environmental impact.
• Over-packaging (an additional wrapping over main package) is considered a waste.

PROTIP

The survey highlights that end users might not buy a product again if in the next 12 months a new greener packaging is not employed yet.

It means that:

• What previously described are the new guidelines for the design of next packagings in 2021/2022 that end users expect to find on the shelves.
• Flexo24 makes plates for packaging printing with a sustainable production process

… in the consumer’s market of packed products industry and distribution continued in their progress towards an offer of products more and more sustainable and with a greener packaging”. (Nicola De Carne, Retailer Client Business Partner, the Nielsen Group).

Most important businesses have already started the transformation towards sustainability.

Circular economy is a sought-after goal amongst main businesses in food&beverage industry, and many of them are already reducing plastic for more sustainable packaging.

Smarties, Nestlé S.A.

The results reached by Nestlé with its brand Smarties are impressive. Nestlé declared that the brand Smarties is going to use only recycled materials for the packaging of its famous chocolate confectionery.

Agnesi, Gruppo Colussi.

In Italy the Colussi Group tuned in to the sustainable drive by presenting to their end customers the Agnesi pasta with a compostable package.

The Coca-Cola Company.

A test launch on the European market is planned for the first paper bottle. It is a turning point in packaging history and European market will work as a test bench.

PepsiCo, Inc.

The producer of one of the most famous soft drinks in the world settled his goal for 2022: their bottles are going to be made from 100% recycled plastic.

Tetra Pack Campany.

Supported by the sustainability drive (which also creates new jobs), Tetrapak declares that the old operations model is now inadequate and has to be changed to back up a new relation between business and environment.

Also Flexo24 takes part to the green revolution of your business for a better environment!

It’s time to choose sustainability even for photopolymer plates’ supply chain – plates which you can use to print on any kind of substrate

Big manufacturers are keeping up!

They create new guidelines for end users’ approval of sustainable packaging and use Flexo24 services, which are a great sustainable choice because:

• We produce photopolymer plates for you decreasing material waste and wastes due to machine servicing,
• the whole Flexo24 supply chain employs renewable energy.

Start now and become a Flexo24 customer: order your own plates