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Happy New Year! It’s that time to think about what’s coming and why — so you can plan your actions/reactions.Get more news about Biodegradable Packaging,you can vist our website!

You’ll note that many, if not most, of my forecasts relate both to each other and to the top sustainable packaging issues that affected last year. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
1. Reverse material substitution will continue to grow.
Cereal box liners. Paper bottles. Protective ecommerce packaging. The biggest trend that I see, and my associates at SPRING (Sustainable Packaging Research, Information, and Networking Group) confirm, is the “paperization” of consumer packaging. Frankly, this is a polite way of saying that plastics are being replaced by paper, primarily because of consumer perceptions regarding the renewability and recyclability advantages of paper versus both polyolefins and PET.

There is plenty of paper available for recycling. Reduced consumer spending and ecommerce growth have led to a growing supply of available paperboard, helping to keep pricing relatively low. Per recycling expert and SPRING subject matter expert Chaz Miller, pricing for OCC (old corrugated containers) in the Northeast US is currently about $37.50 a ton vs. $172.50 a year ago.
This is probably a natural progression, given both consumer perceptions regarding plastics recyclability and waste generation; along with the inability of consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to reach 25% packaging recyclability/recycling content goals between 2025 and 2030. But there is a potentially large problem in the making:

First, many of these packages are paper/plastic hybrids that don’t pass the recyclability test. These include paper bottles with internal plastic pouches, paper/plastic carton combinations used to produce beverage containers, flexible packaging, and liquor bottles that claim to be compostable.

2. The desire to trumpet compostable packaging will deteriorate.
By now, you probably know that I’ve never felt that compostable packaging has a significant role to play outside of foodservice applications and venues. The materials and packaging in question are not circular, most likely not scalable, and most likely not cost effective.

The facts are finally catching up to the fiction: (1) There is not enough home composting occurring to make even the slightest difference; (2) Industrial composting is still in its infancy; (3) Packaging and foodservice items are not always well received by industrial facilities; and (4) Composting both “bio” and legacy plastics is a non-circular activity that results in the production of greenhouse gases and little else.
3. Europe will continue to ride and lead the anti-greenwashing wave.
Per the dissatisfaction with compostability and other environmental claims, we are starting to see regulatory rumblings here in the US at the Federal Trade Commission, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) taking a surprising lead. For reference, in March of last year, the SEC proposed new climate-related disclosure requirements for public companies. Proposed rule amendments require public companies to provide certain climate-related financial data, and greenhouse gas emissions insights, in public disclosure filings.