Packaging innovations from around the globe

10-Sep-2018 - Last updated on 10-Sep-2018 at 09:59 GMT

From L’Oréal’s efforts with green packaging in China, to a recent major packing player acquisition in Colombia, we cast an eye around the globe at some of the latest shifts in packaging innovations.

Asia Pacific: region spotlight

When it comes to sustainability, people typically think of western markets leading the way, but some impressive strides are now being made in Asia.

Cosmetics giant, L'Oréal, and e-commerce leader, Alibaba Group, are boosting their efforts to reduce waste by using environmentally friendly packaging, for example.

All of the packaging used on L’Oréal’s items sold in China is to be environmentally friendly, thanks to the new partnership which was signed at the end of June. Find our full report here.

And Unilever is another multinational making efforts in the APAC region: the company’s Australasia division will use a minimum of 25% recycled plastic.

Dove, TRESemmé, Surf, Sunsilk and OMO will all feature recycled plastic for home and personal care goods bottles, under the plans. Discover the full story here.

North, Central and Latin America (LATAM)

Across North, Central and Latin America, other steps are being seen in the area of sustainable packaging, as well innovations that meet consumer demand for personalised beauty products and immersive retail experiences.

This summer’s edition of Cosmoprof NA, for example, saw the launch of a new nail polish bottle cap that lets customers test without the mess.

Our US editor Deanna Utroske got the full story with our exclusive interview available here.

In LATAM, packaging focus can be seen in strategic acquisitions in the space.

Weener Plastics, for example, recently announced a ‘significant expansion milestone’ with its acquisition of Colombian cosmetics and personal care packaging player Proenfar.

Proenfar is a major player in the Colombian market and throughout the Latin American, so the deal will in turn help Weener to expand its footprint all over the region and follows its strategy to grow in emerging markets.

Looking ahead

When it comes to future trends and consumer demands in packing, market research firm Euromonitor International has it covered.

The market research firm has released its latest data and analysis on what’s hot in packaging up to 2022.

According to the firm, the trends remain tied to mass market, essential FMCG for personal care, and include individual portion sizes, smaller packs, e-commerce influence, premium and clean packaging.

“As consumers’ purchasing habits and preferences evolve globally, this creates packaging shifts, such as greater adoption of HDPE bottles over single-use flexible plastics, as well as growing demand for premium packaging,” confirms Mylan Nguyen, Senior Beauty & Fashion Analyst at Euromonitor International.

“Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact that packaging has on the environment. As a result, brand owners and packaging manufacturers are working towards greener packaging solutions, offering bio plastic, post-consumer recycled packaging and lightweight packaging, among others.” Discover our full report here.