PACK EXPO Recap: 4 key packaging themes to focus on as you plan your packaging strategy for 2023
Over 40,000 professionals gathered last week in Chicago for PACK EXPO 2022 to discuss the latest and greatest innovations in packaging – and where the industry is headed. Amongst those countless trends, Pregis, who attended as an official show exhibitor, rounded up the key themes that could have the greatest impact on a business’ packaging and fulfillment strategy in 2023 and beyond.
Sustainability
When it comes to packaging materials, customers want recyclability and recycled content to support a circular economy. Manufacturers are increasingly offering paper and poly packaging options with higher levels of recycled content (both post-industrial and post-consumer materials). On top of that, more packaging solutions are offering store drop-off and curbside recycling to simplify the disposal process for customers – especially when it comes to the e-commerce/retail segments.
Automation
Labor shortages, labor shortages, labor shortages. The trend remains a key driver of packaging automation. Equipment is doing more every day to take the manual and repetitive packing tasks out of the workflow – from automated bagging equipment to autonomous case erecting and right sizing. These solutions are imperative in helping companies increase their throughput and optimize their personnel. Much of the aforementioned technology has the ability to then seamlessly plug into a company’s warehouse management system (WMS) to monitor equipment diagnostics from one central place.
On-Pack Printing
Packaging is the new “shelf presence”, especially as direct-to-consumer e-commerce asserts itself as a long-term mode of fulfillment. In-line, color printing technology is growing in speed and quality on both poly and paper packaging, creating the opportunity for customers to extend their brand experience to a customer’s home.
Traceability
As more products course their way through sortation and distribution/fulfillment hubs, RFID technology is becoming more prevalent on packaging. This means the ability to better track inventory, shipping lead times, and even the health of a product (i.e., mishandling and damages). The more data businesses have into their supply chain, the more strategically they can make decisions/draw key learnings.
To learn more about these trends, or explore Pregis’ solutions and services, click here.
