What Trends Will Corrugated Packaging See in 2019

Trends are a big thing at the start of the New Year. Where the top places to visit will be…What the ‘Colour of the Year’ will be for our home interiors.

Which led us on to thinking what trends the corrugated packaging industry might see in 2019. It’s a topic that could garner much discussion and thought so we’ve kept it brief and to the top three things we think will have significant impact from our perspective.

Plastic not so fantastic

2018 was the year that the consumer began to rebel against the use of plastic packaging; particularly that which is classed as single use.

With that in mind retailers and manufacturers are beginning to make a slow but significant shift towards materials that are easily recycled; corrugated and other cardboards clearly falling into that category.

As a result we’ve seen a move towards paper straws, Aldi has chosen to use a recyclable material for its pizza boards instead of polystyrene or plastic, and the UK Plastics Pact has been launched – an initiative that has seen over 40 businesses support the aim of ensuring all plastic used is either re-usable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Responsible recycling

Consumers now demand the simplicity of ecommerce but also want to tick their sustainability boxes with packaging that is sensibly used and that can be recycled with ease. Similarly, the days of over-packaging seem to be coming to an end and corrugated is proving to be a huge hit in the ecommerce sector due to its versatility, robustness and reliability through the supply chain especially when innovative designs are created by companies such as Boxes and Packaging.

Providing packaging solutions that tick all the boxes are the only ones that really fulfil consumer and manufacturer demand and we expect the growth of this sector to become even more evident as 2019 continues.

Innovation and solution creation

To encourage the shift away from SUP and to support consumer and retailer demand innovation is critical to minimising waste, encouraging recycling and finding sustainable solutions that support all aspects of the supply chain, from manufacturing to delivery.

The teams at Boxes and Packaging are award winning when it comes to developing innovative partnerships that support many aspects of businesses procurement and CSR strategies. The two do not have to be mutually exclusive; it is possible to source responsible packaging, reduce waste and protect products – just a little innovation is required.

So, as we close the door on 2018 and look forward to 2019 with drive, enthusiasm and a robust strategy for growth we believe that the corrugated industry is well placed to support the evolution of packaging.

Solution and service driven the possibilities of corrugated packaging are endless; let’s work together to ensure we continue to support responsible packaging across such a wide range of industries and sectors and encourage a sustainable approach wherever possible.