Packaging is the first impression a customer gets of a product, and can determine whether the consumer buys the product or not.
According to StartUs, one packaging trend is internet of packaging. ‘The internet of packaging transforms conventional packaging, enhancing brand-consumer interaction with technologies like QR codes, RFID, and NFC. This smart packaging serves not just as a container but as a data conduit and digital interface, offering security, authenticity and connectivity.’
Another trend is biodegradable packaging. ‘The shift away from traditional plastic, a dominant material since the early 20th century, is accelerating due to its environmental drawbacks and slow decomposition. Growing consumer awareness of the detrimental impacts of single-use plastics is fuelling the demand for eco-friendly alternatives.’
Another trend that continues to gain traction is sustainability. The third annual Consumer Sustainability Survey from Blue Yonder confirms that sustainability remains a priority for all consumers. However, younger shoppers are more definitive and consistent in their choices, with 85% of Gen Z and 84% of Millennials reporting that sustainability considerations are important to them.
In South Africa, the integration of digital inkjet printbars into existing printing lines is the most exciting development in packaging. Sustainability has also been highlighted as important. Currently, the attitude is to print everything ‘cheap and nasty’. What printers don’t realise is that this attitude is working everyone out of business. It is unsustainable, and print buyers need to be educated.
In terms of how South Africa compares to the international market in adopting and using the latest packaging technologies, it is believed that the country is pushing on with old technologies and doing things the same old way. It is time to invest in the latest equipment, automate, clean up shop and offer a new packaging message to the industry.
Invest in the latest packaging solutions at the Africa Print Johannesburg Expo. Please register online for free attendance to the event, taking place 11-13 September at Gallagher Convention Centre from 9am-5pm.
AFRICA PRINT EXPO
+27 11 568 1894
www.africaprintexpo.com
