Four Packaging Trends Shaping 2024: Sustainability, E‑Commerce, PCR, and Strategic Partnerships

Our team has been closely monitoring the push toward a circular economy across the packaging industry, highlighting how material suppliers are increasingly incorporating recycled content and biobased additives into their virgin resin lines. Coupled with advances in mechanical and chemical recycling, these efforts are redefining best practices for packaging designers and manufacturers.

We recently reviewed an insightful article by Bishop Beall, Vice President of Sales & Business Development at Chroma Color Corp., which outlines four critical packaging trends that are poised to influence the market in 2024 and beyond.

Chroma Color Corp., a leader in specialty color and additive concentrates, boasts over five decades of technical and manufacturing expertise. Their game‑changing colorant technologies serve a wide array of sectors—including packaging, wire & cable, building & construction, consumer goods, medical & healthcare, lawn & garden, durables, sanitation, recreation & leisure, and transportation.

Below is a concise summary of Beall’s insights:

• Reduce / Reuse / Recycle – The industry now recognizes that no single solution resolves plastic packaging challenges. Successful progress requires collaboration among designers, processors, MRFs, municipalities, schools, and consumers. Recent initiatives—such as city‑wide educational programs that clarify recyclable items, and MRFs adopting robotic sorting—have lowered contamination rates. However, the effectiveness of plastic bans remains under debate.
• E‑Commerce – The surge in online orders has raised new packaging standards. Amazon, for instance, mandates that all packages shipped from its fulfillment centers meet a three‑foot drop test, particularly for liquid‑filled items. Brands must strike a balance: over‑packaging signals environmental irresponsibility, while under‑packaging can compromise brand perception. Beall advises partnering with experts early to meet these evolving guidelines without costly redesigns.
• Post‑Consumer Resin (PCR) Packaging – Many brands are increasing PCR content, but achieving the same visual quality as virgin resin products is challenging due to inherent color variations (gray/yellow tints, black flecks, resin gels). Innovations such as Chroma’s patented G‑Series colorants—arguably the most highly loaded solution in the industry—help overcome these variations, enabling sustainable packaging that doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics or performance.
• Packaging Supply Partners – Global supply‑chain disruptions, tariffs, and economic slowdown compel companies to reevaluate their supply‑chain partners. Look for partners that have invested heavily in customer service, manufacturing processes, and a culture of genuine innovation over the past five years.

Key Questions for Potential Partners:

1. Do they allocate an above‑market percentage of revenue to R&D?
2. Can they perform rapid prototyping?
3. Does their financial position support investment in new equipment, automation, or key process improvements?
4. Do they have proven success stories and satisfied, loyal customers?

Beall concludes: “If a potential partner answers yes to all four questions, schedule a meeting to discover how they can help you navigate these packaging challenges.”