Packaging Trends Report - PMMI

P A C K A G I N G I N T E L L I G E N C E B R I E F 

PACKAGING TRENDS 

Forces that will influence packaging through the end of the decade

About the Packaging 

Intelligence Brief Series 

Packaging plays a critical role in our global economy 

and touches the lives of everyone. For 75 years, the 

PMMI has been the leading global resource for packaging 

manufacturers to learn about industry trends, obtain 

training and get involved in networking events. 

PMMI is proud to introduce the Packaging Intelligence 

Brief series which focuses on trends that are shaping 

the future of the industry. Over the next year, PMMI will 

regularly release Packaging Intelligence Briefs to 

address various topics that are significantly impacting 

packaging and outlining how suppliers and manufacturers 

are responding to market needs.


Forces will influence packaging through the end of the decade 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 4 

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 4 

Automation..................................................................................................................... 6 

More Robots .................................................................................................... 7 

More Software and Integration .......................................................................... 8 

More RFID ....................................................................................................... 8 

Sustainability ............................................................................................................... 10 

Source Reduction ........................................................................................... 10 

Replacing Non-Renewable Resources .............................................................. 11 

Conserving Water and Energy ......................................................................... 12 

Waste Reduction ............................................................................................ 13 

Recycling and Recycled Content ..................................................................... 14 

Consumer Convenience ................................................................................................ 14 

Product Safety ............................................................................................................. 15 

Health and Wellness ..................................................................................................... 17 

B U I L D I N G A N E N V I R O N M E N T O F T R U S T, R E S P E C T A N D O P E N C O M M U N I C A T I O N 3


Executive Summary 

Building on familiar demands, package design and packaging 

lines will evolve to address the need for automation, sustainability, 

consumer convenience, product safety and rising consumer 

interest in health and wellness. 

Reliance on automation will increase throughout the 2008-2010 

time period to increase efficiency and quality and cut costs. 

Packagers will automate more manual operations and update 

and upgrade older automated operations to boost productivity, 

while cutting costs and labor requirements. 

Environmental concerns, often discussed under the banner of 

sustainability or climate change, have not yet peaked. As a 

result, between now and 2010 we’ll see continued attention on 

source reduction, conservation of energy, water and nonrenewable 

resources, minimization of greenhouse gas emissions 

and waste and rising levels of recycling and recycled content. 

Recent product introductions show how strong the demand for 

convenience is with products like Healthy Choice Café 

Steamers entrees from ConAgra Foods, Omaha, NE, in steamgenerating, 

cook-in packaging; Lean Cuisine panini sandwiches 

from Nestle USA, Glendale, CA, in microwaveable susceptor 

trays; organic coffee beans from Celestial Seasonings, Boulder, 

CO, in resealable, zippered stand-up pouches; and Pringles 

Minis potato crisps from Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH, 

in single-serving pouches. As cook-in packaging becomes 

even more functional, it should remain in favor, as will package 

designs that are easy to open and reclose. However, the greatest 

action is likely to be in single-serving packs because these 

designs couple convenience with healthy portion control. 

Recalls, problems with tainted foods and drugs and the prevalence 

of counterfeit products worldwide are spurring packagers 

to scrutinize their supply chains, process controls and quality 

assurance practices with new intensity. 

With obesity seen as a major health problem in much of the 

developed world, skyrocketing healthcare demand and costs 

and the aging baby boomer population, interest in products 

that can improve well-being continues to rise, driving demand 

for better-for-you formulations, portion-control packaging, 

more product information, greater emphasis on fresh products 

and reduction in the use of artificial additives and preservatives. 

There also is interest in products that simplify preparation 

of balanced meals and improve the nutritional profile of 

grab-and-go foods/beverages. 

Although packagers may want to increase automation, and 

deliver products that appeal to consumers’ desire for sustainability, 

convenience, healthfulness, economics ultimately 

will determine changes are made in packaging designs 

and equipment. 

Introduction 

Building on familiar demands, package design and packaging 

lines will evolve to address the need for automation, sustainability, 

consumer convenience, 

product safety 

and rising consumer interest 

in health and wellness. 

The importance of sustainability, 

convenience, and 

health and wellness to 

today’s consumer is clearly 

demonstrated by products 

listed in the top 20 Most 

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Memorable New Product Launches of 2007. Sustainable products 

listed by consumers queried in a survey sponsored by 

Schneider Associates, Boston, MA; New Products magazine, 

Deerfield, IL; and Information Resources, Inc., Chicago, IL; 

include Tide 2X Ultra concentrated laundry detergent from 

Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH, which contains less 

water and features a smaller bottle/closure than the non-concentrated 

formula. 

Food safety also is a top-of-mind concern. With high-profile 

U.S. recalls in 2007-2008 related to lead paint, melaminetainted 

petfood, C. botulinum-contaminated hot dog chili 

sauce, E. coli-contaminated beef and Salmonella-contaminated 

pot pies and peanut butter, consumers want to know 

what’s in a product and where it came from. 

Winners falling under the health and wellness and/or convenience 

banners include portion-controlled Hostess 100 Calorie 

Pack Cup Cakes from Interstate Bakeries Corp., Kansas City, 

MO; Alli weight loss capsules from GlaxoSmithKline, Research 

Triangle Park, NC; Diet Coke Plus and Coke Cherry Zero soft 

drinks from Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, GA; DanActive Yogurt 

Drinks from Dannon Co., North Tarrytown, NY; Fresh Fit 

Meals from Subway Restaurants, Milford, CT; Diet Pepsi Max 

from PepsiCo North 

America, Purchase, 

NY; and microwaveable 

Oscar Meyer Deli 

Creations sandwiches 

from Kraft Foods, 

Northfield, IL. 

Product safety concerns are not limited to food or to the United 

States. Tainted products have been implicated in recent deaths 

and illnesses in China and Japan. In 2006, Cadbury 

Schweppes, London, UK, recalled more than 1 million chocolate 

bars from UK stores due to Salmonella contamination, and 

dozens died in Latin America after ingesting diethylene glycoltainted 

cough syrup. 

Packagers are scrutinizing their supply chains, process controls 

and quality assurance practices with new intensity. 

Although packagers may want to increase automation, and 

deliver products that are sustainable, convenient and healthy, 

economics ultimately will determine the level of investment in 

package design and packaging line equipment. 

According to Manufacturing Barometer: Business Outlook 4Q 

2007, a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, New York, NY, 

senior executives in U.S.-based companies are far more positive 

about the world economy than the U.S. economy with 64% 



expressing optimism about the performance of the world economy 

during the next 12 months. 

Attitudes about the U.S. economy have slipped considerably 

with only 29% of those surveyed feeling optimistic about 

prospects for the next 12 months, a substantial decline from 

the 45% who felt optimistic in the third quarter of 2007 and 

less than half of the 64%, who were feeling positive in the 

fourth quarter of 2006. The top four barriers to growth cited 

by the executives include oil/energy prices (66%), lack of 

demand (61%), competition from foreign markets (44%) and 

monetary exchange rate (44%). 

Although the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to forestall 

or shorten a recession early in 2008, it appears likely the US 

economy will slow during 2008-2009, before accelerating in 

2009-2010. However, with the dollar low versus the Euro 

and other major currencies, U.S. businesses should see a 

rising amount of revenue derived from exports. 

At home, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, signed by 

President Bush in February 2008, should help offset a slowing 

economy through tax breaks for capital investments, 

especially for smaller companies planning to spend less 

than $800,000 in 2008. 

However, since the tax breaks relate primarily to equipment 

purchased and installed in 2008, it’s imperative to place 

orders early, especially for equipment with longer lead times. 

2007 by The Nielsen Co., New York, NY, consumers are trying 

to make their dollars go farther by shopping more on the 

internet, eating out less, staying home more, buying more 

store and budget brands, reducing shopping trips and shopping 

more at supercenters. “Manufacturers and retailers 

need to be alert to the fact that consumers are looking to 

save by altering where they shop, how they shop and what 

products and brands they buy,” says Todd Hale, senior vice 

president of Consumer Shopping & Insights at Nielsen, 

adding, “Value, convenience and competitive pricing will be 

more important than ever in the year ahead.” 

Higher oil prices are impacting consumers elsewhere in the 

world. In Europe, higher oil prices are boosting the cost of 

natural gas and electricity, as well as gasoline and raising 

fears of inflation. According to estimates from Luxembourgbased 

Eurostat, the annual inflation rate for the Euro area 

(15 member states) was 3.2% in January 2008, significantly 

higher than the 2% target set by the European 

Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 

At the global level, economic growth will slow from the 

4.9% registered in 2007 to 4.1% in 2008, according to 

projections from the International Monetary Fund, 

Washington, DC. Pressure on growth is coming from slowing 

economies in the United States, western Europe and 

Japan, fallout from the subprime mortgage problems in the 

United States and moderating growth in emerging and 

developing economies. 

For consumers, gasoline and other rising costs will put a 

squeeze on spending. With gas expected to hit $3.40 per 

gallon by mid-2008, consumers will be making increasingly 

tough choices between filling the tank and other purchases. 

According to a Nielsen Homescan Survey done in December 

Automation 

Reliance on automation will increase throughout the 2008- 

2010 time period to address needs to increase efficiency 

and quality and cut costs. 

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On the packaging line, manual operations are being automated, 

and automated operations are looking for ways to boost 

productivity, while cutting costs and labor requirements. This 

wish list is translating into a strong interest in entry-level equipment 

to help packagers automate manual operations to reduce 

or control labor costs, improve working conditions and eliminate 

ergonomic hazards. 



For operations that have already made the transition to automated 

equipment, the need to increase productivity and control 

costs is spurring demand for flexible machines that are 

easier to clean, change over, operate and maintain. It’s also 

prompting greater use of servos, networks (especially wireless), 

radio frequency identification (RFID) and robotics and 

spurring more interest in machine-to-machine and machineto-enterprise 

integration, use of software to collect and analyze 

production data, and e-machine features that permit remote 

access for operation, troubleshooting and/or repair. 

Although many packagers install new lines or upgrade existing 

lines to meet changing needs, there’s also a strong interest in 

outsourcing, especially in the food industry. According to a 

2007 Food Packaging Trends Study by Food Engineering magazine, 

32% of respondents rely on contract packagers to 

reduce time to market for new products, double the percentage 

using this strategy in 2003. 

More Robots 

Respondents to the survey classify robotics as the most noteworthy 

development in packaging technology, and a significant 

number would like to install more. 

Palletizing is the most common packaging application for 

robots, followed by case/carton packaging and pick-and-place 

activities. However, the units continue to add to their repertoire 

of packaging functions. According to a study by the PMMI, 

Arlington, VA, robot use has grown rapidly since 2004 with a 

28% jump in the number used for primary packaging and a 

17% increase in units performing secondary packaging tasks. 

Survey respondents predict palletizing will continue to dominate, 

but use of robots for primary packaging tasks will experience 

more rapid growth. 

With 77% of the packagers surveyed planning to use more 

robots, penetration on packaging lines should double from 

about one-fourth in 2007 to roughly one-half by 2012 with all 

segments participating – Food, Beverage, Chemical, 

Pharmaceutical/Medical, Durable Goods and Other. A growing 

number of these new units will be equipped with vision to 

reduce the need for fixturing, increase flexibility to accommodate 

different products and expedite changeover. 

The top three reasons packagers cite for adding robotics to 

packaging lines include reduced costs/higher efficiencies 

(35%), reduced labor (30%) and manufacturing flexibility 

(21%). Other influences include employee safety, ergonomics, 

speed, product quality and space constraints. 



When adopting a robot, there also are hurdles to overcome. 

The most frequently cited by robot users surveyed include the 

skill level needed to operate and maintain the units, downtime, 

cost and the need for human intervention. However, costs are 

expected to drop 10-20% by 2012. In addition mean time 

between failures is now measured in increments approaching 

100,000 hours, and improved software and controls simplify 

setup and operation. Finally, the majority of packaging machinery 

companies selling robotic equipment also offer maintenance 

services. 

More Software and Integration 

Increasingly, the enabler on packaging lines is software. Not 

only does it govern machine action, but it also controls 

setup and interaction -- with other machines, the network 

and beyond to other enterprise systems and even to systems 

run by supply chain partners. Software also is starting 

to be used to measure productivity and manage performance 

with the goal of reducing unplanned downtime, boosting 

output, improving work methods and increasing maintenance 

efficiency. 

Whatever its purpose, software makes it possible to collect, store 

and organize packaging machine and line data and convert it into 

useful, retrievable and actionable information. Increasingly, this 

information is available remotely via a web portal. 

At the machine or line level, for example, the Proficy Historian 

tool that resides in Proficy HMI/SCADA Cimplicity visualization 

software from GE Fanuc Automation, Charlottesville, VA, 

records all process data such as temperatures, filling levels, 

added ingredients and raw material codes and also provides 

access to this information via a web-based portal. Other tools 

can provide real-time alerts if preset parameters are exceeded. 

Performance management software from companies like 

Informance International, Northbrook, IL, and Parsec 

Automation Corp., Brea, CA, monitor packaging lines, calculate 

overall equipment effectiveness, pinpoint problems and help 

identify solutions. Production data and metrics also are the 

focus of an Efficiency Improvement Tool, EIT 5.0, from Sidel 

Group, Octeville, France. 

More RFID 

RFID, a technology that automates product identification and 

enables item-level serialization for supply chain, track and 

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trace and other purposes, will continue its steady expansion 

due to an unwavering commitment to tagging of incoming 

goods by Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, AR, and other retailers. 

Other drivers include the ability to meet requirements of 

California’s e-pedigree law, which takes effect on 1 January 

2009, and its success in discouraging counterfeiting and 

diversion of drugs and other high-value goods. 

and bar codes probably will be used together, especially initially, 

so one can serve as a backup to the other. 

Some packagers have been quietly experimenting with the 

technology for several years. Others have been sitting on the 

fence. However, the heel dragging appears to be at an end 

since further delays in implementing the technology is going 

to cost suppliers to Wal-Mart and Metro AG, Düsseldorf, 

Germany. Both retailers plan to charge a penalty for each 

untagged pallet received. 

Meanwhile, vendors have been joining forces to provide onestop 

shopping for systems that include the hardware, software 

and systems integration needed to implement the technology 

to meet compliance requirements or in-house data collection 

needs. As is typical with virtually all electronics-based products, 

hardware prices are declining as functionality increases. 

For drug makers, 2008 will be spent preparing to meet 

California’s e-pedigree law. To prevent counterfeiting and diversion 

and simplify authentication, the California law requires 

marking each primary package with a unique code and reading 

and recording this item-level code at each step in the supply 

chain to create an electronic chain-of-custody record. 

Although the serialized code could be carried by a bar code or 

even manually entered, the industry seems to have narrowed 

its choices down to RFID or two-dimensional bar codes with 

RFID given an edge because a bar code has to be in the reader’s 

line of sight for data to be captured. However, RFID tags 

Drug makers relying on RFID to meet e-pedigree requirements 

may be able to eliminate a separate tagging operation by using 

source-tagged containers. At least one firm, Rexam plc, 

London, UK, embeds RFID tags during the injection molding 

process. Indicative of how close we are to large deployments of 

source-tagged containers is the development of a bottle 

inspection system to ensure the tag is viable. Positioned at the 

outfeed of an injection molding machine or unscrambler, the 

Lomax RFID system from CIVision, Aurora, IL, inspects, 

encodes and verifies at a rate of 240 containers per minute. 

Capturing item-level RFID information on the packaging line 

makes it possible for pharmaceutical companies to authenticate 

products at the filling stage. Information from sourcetagged 

bottles also can be used to initiate an action like labeling. 

At later stages in the distribution chain, RFID tags provide 

the opportunity to continuously gather data about a product’s 

travels, update its pedigree and confirm authenticity. 

Another indication of how far RFID technology has evolved is 

the availability of turnkey, plug-and-play systems that have 

eliminated the trial-and-error and read rate challenges that 

plagued early deployments of the technology. One system targeted 

for case and pallet coding, the self-contained, 32-tagper-minute 

system from Diagraph, St. Charles, MO, costs 

$9,500. It consists of a SATO Lt408 printer integrated with a 



PA/4600 label applicator, RFID TampTenna, reject module, 

warning tower and stand. Unlike most systems that perform 

the encoding step in the print engine, Diagraph prints the label 

and feeds it to the patented TampTenna device, which encodes 

the tag, checks that the code is good, applies the label and 

checks the tag again as it retracts. 

Sustainability 

Environmental concerns, often discussed under the banner of 

sustainability or climate change, have not yet peaked. As a 

result, between now and 2010 we’ll see continued attention on 

source reduction, conservation of energy, water and nonrenewable 

resources, minimization of greenhouse gas emissions 

and waste, and rising levels of recycling and recycled content. 

There will be an especially high level of activity related to 

source reduction such as lightweighting containers and closures, 

eliminating secondary packaging, and replacing rigid 

packaging with flexible packaging. Source reduction makes an 

easy target because it not only consumes less material, but 

also helps cut energy costs throughout the supply chain by 

reducing shipping weight. 

The potential for energy savings also makes the use of 

materials with recycled content attractive since virgin materials 

require more energy to process. Thus, we’ll see slowly 

rising percentages of recycled content across all types of 

packaging materials -- glass, aluminum, steel, paper, 

paperboard, corrugated, plastic -- with the most significant 

gains in plastics like PET where efforts to increase collection 

rates seem likely to bear fruit. 

Interest in packaging materials derived from renewable 

resources will grow, particularly in the area of bioplastics where 

commercial-scale production facilities are coming online and 

functionality is improving. 

We also can expect growth in flexible packaging and aseptic 

products, which hold a high volume of product relative to the 

amount of packaging required. In addition, aseptic products 

offer the added benefit of reducing the need for energy-intensive 

refrigeration. 

Although packagers may be paying more attention to the environmental 

impact of their operations and products, the driving 

force behind these “green” efforts is not an altruistic “save the 

planet” mission, but a cost-reduction strategy. Sustainability 

initiatives that are not cost-effective are not sustainable and 

will falter and die. Finally, it should be noted that packagers 

need to publicize their sustainability efforts. Environmental 

activities that aren’t verifiably quantified and publicized don’t 

earn any sales from consumers or support from socially minded 

investors. 

Source Reduction 

One of the most frequently employed tactics to shrink a product’s 

environmental footprint is source reduction. Generally 

accomplished by lightweighting or downgauging, source 

reduction involves using less material in the first place. As a 

result, it almost always helps packagers cut costs or offset 

price increases. 

A host of source-reduced products are coming on the market 

including lightweighted PET containers, short-skirt closures, 

and dispensers from Nordson Corp., Duluth, GA, that 

foam adhesive or apply it in an intermittent rather than continuous 

bead. 

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Nestlé Waters North America, 

Greenwich, CT, for example, relies 

on Sidel’s Flex technology to 

produce its lightweight Eco- 

Shape bottle. Weighing in at 

12.5 grams, about 30% less 

than the average half-litre 

(16.9-ounce) PET water bottle, 

the Eco-Shape container is 

commercial for the Arrowhead, 

Ozarka and Poland Springs 

brands and eventually will be 

used throughout the Nestle 

Waters North America system. 

Short-skirt closures typically reduce total container weight by 

a gram or two. Not only does the closure itself weigh less, but 

the designs reduce the amount of resin needed in the finish 

area of the container. A number of closure makers have 

added shirt-skirt options to their product lines including 

Rank Group’s Closure Systems International (formerly Alcoa 

CSI), Indianapolis, IN, with the Xtra-Lok mini for carbonated 

soft drinks and the MB-Lok mini for malt beverages; 

SuperShorty closures from Bericap GmbH and Co. KG, 

Budenheim, Germany; the PCO closure 

from Corvaglia, Eschlikon, 

Switzerland; and designs from the 

Obrist division of Global Closure 

Systems, Paris, France. 

When multiplied by millions of containers and closures, even 

small weight reductions add up to a significant amount of resin 

and can help control or even reduce packaging and distribution 

costs. In addition, if the lighter weight results in a denser 

cube, it also can generate savings in distribution packaging 

and shipping and handling costs due to more efficient transportation 

utilization and reduced handling. 

Replacing Non-Renewable Resources 

Most packaging is made from nonrenewable resources. 

Although some metal, glass and plastic packaging is recycled 

and more could be recycled, packaging derived from 

renewable resources like wood fiber or corn is viewed by 

many as more environmentally friendly. Bioplastics are seen 

as especially appealing because they offer a way to reduce 

reliance on oil. 

However, it should be noted that definitions of terms like bioplastic 

and biopolymer are not standardized and may describe 

materials that are not biodegradable, compostable or 100% 

derived from renewable resources. As a result, it’s necessary 

for a packager to carefully define its requirements and verify 

the renewable packaging being purchased meets or exceeds 

specifications. U.S standards like ASTM D6400 for compostable 

plastics and ASTM D6868 for compostable packaging, 

European standards like EN13432 for biodegradability/compostability 

and certification systems established by the 

B U I L D I N G A N E N V I R O N M E N T O F T R U S T, R E S P E C T A N D O P E N C O M M U N I C A T I O N 1 1


Biodegradable Products Institute, New York, NY, can help 

ensure the packaging purchased performs as expected. 

Although the concept of compostable and/or biodegradable 

films is appealing, it should be noted that at present very little 

of the material will actually be composted. A widespread 

composting infrastructure simply doesn’t exist in the United 

States. In Europe, the European Union’s Landfill Directive 

restricts landfilling of biodegradable waste. As a result, some 

countries have a well-established composting infrastructure, 

others do not. In Japan, a Food Recycling Law passed in 

2001 has had a positive effect on the availability of composting 

facilities and rates. 

There also are several certification systems for fiber used in 

paper, paperboard and corrugated. Programs like the 

Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., Arlington, VA, or Forest 

Stewardship Council – U.S., Reston, VA, for example, confirm 

fiber comes from sustainably managed sources. 

Packagers have a growing number of bioplastic options to 

choose from for both rigid and flexible packaging. Functionality 

is rapidly evolving too. In addition, there’s a continuous effort to 

improve the environmental profile of bioplastics. Recent developments 

include the production of conventional polyethylene 

from ethanol derived from sugar cane. Work also is proceeding 

on producing bioplastics from food waste or waste agricultural 

material such as bagasse (residue from sugar cane processing) 

rather than using food crops like corn. 

As interest in packaging from renewable sources has grown, 

visual carded packaging, long the province of plastic 

clamshells, is seeing a shift toward designs with a higher level 

of fiber content, recycled content and/or bioplastics. Suppliers 

of what’s described as environmentally friendly visual carded 

packaging like Colbert Packaging Corp., Lake Forest, IL; Dot 

Packaging Group, Inc., Batavia, IL; or CardPak, Inc., Solon, OH; 

also control or eliminate emissions of volatile organic compounds 

from coatings and ink and work with customers to finetune 

designs for optimum cube. 

Conserving Water and Energy 

With energy costs rising, water increasingly viewed as a finite 

resource and socially aware investors asking hard questions 

about impact on the environment, packagers are paying more 

attention to energy and water conservation measures. 

Many companies are working to reduce water consumption. 

Since 2002, breweries operated by Anheuser-Busch 

Companies, Inc. (A-B), St. Louis, MO, have reduced water consumption 

5%, a savings of about 875 million gallons. 

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Food and beverage companies also are converting to non-traditional 

power generation options. Kraft Foods, Northfield, IL, 

for example, provides some power for one of its plants via 

methane generated by adding bacteria to whey, a byproduct of 

cream cheese production. 

A-B ranks as the world’s largest user of Bio-Energy Recovery 

Systems. Installed at nine out of 12 of the company’s U.S. 

breweries and at its facility in Wuhan, China, the system captures 

biogas from brewery wastewater and burns it to supply 

up to 15% of a location’s energy needs. In 2007, biogasderived 

energy supplied A-B with heat equal to that needed for 

25,000 homes and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 258 

million pounds. 

In England, Scottish & Newcastle plc, Edinburgh, Scotland, 

plans to install two biomass-fueled heat/power plants built 

by Wärtsilä, Helsinki, Finland, at breweries in Manchester. 

Reportedly the first units in the world to produce both electricity 

and heat using spent grain, a brewing byproduct, as 

fuel, the plants will burn a mixture of spent grain and wood 

chips from local sources, and will begin producing steam 

and electricity for the breweries in 2009. Excess electricity 

will be exported to the local grid. “The Wärtsilä BioPower 

plants will enable Scottish & Newcastle to make more efficient 

use of residue from its beer production, cut down on 

waste handling and energy costs, as well as reducing carbon 

dioxide emissions,” reports Tauno Kuitunen, regional sales 

director for Wärtsilä Biopower. 

Welch’s, Concord, MA, is experimenting with a hydrogen-fromwaste 

extraction technology developed by NanoLogix, Inc., 

Hubbard, OH, to generate electricity from juice waste. The plant 

near Erie, PA, takes water used to clean juice storage tanks and 

adds microbes to consume the sugar from the juice. Hydrogen 

generated by the microbes is captured in tanks for use as an 

energy source. With the concept proven on a pilot-plant scale, 

Welch’s plans to build a large-scale bioreactor in Erie this 

spring, according to a report by Lisa Ann Pinkerton on Allegheny 

Front, an environmental radio station based in Pittsburgh, PA. If 

successful, the full-scale system could mean a substantial 

reduction in the $1 million the plant spends each year on electricity 

and wastewater treatment (about $500,000 each). 

Some packagers have turned to solar energy or wind power 

or purchase offsets to improve their carbon footprint. In 

Portland, OR, Lucky Labrador Brewing Co. has installed a 

solar hot water system to heat the water needed for the first 

stage of the process for brewing its Sun Beer. Other craft 

breweries like Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA, 

power their plants with arrays of photovoltaic panels that 

convert sunlight to electricity. 

In many cases, tax credits are available for installing this type 

of “green” improvement. 

Improving distribution efficiency to reduce the number of 

trucks and miles driven is another popular tactic. A growing 

number of software programs are available to plan the most 

efficient routes. 

Waste Reduction 

Despite a couple decades of effort to reduce packaging 

waste, particularly in Europe, it remains an issue and appears 

to be a growing concern. In global Environmental Concerns 

surveys done by Nielsen in May 2007 and November 2007, 

the number of consumers who said they were “very” concerned 

about packaging waste increased from 31% to 40%. 

In addition, in the November 2007 survey, the concern about 



packaging waste increased more than any other, outpacing 

worries about climate change, water shortage, water and air 

pollution and use of pesticides. 

With more than one-third of the population very concerned 

about packaging waste, it’s time to be proactive about reducing, 

reusing and recycling. 

Recycling and Recycled Content 

Recycled content is commonly found in all types of packaging. 

Replacing virgin content with recycled saves energy, reduces 

waste and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. In most cases, higher 

percentages of recycled content could be used, but demand 

for recycled materials exceeds supply. 

That’s why Coca-Cola and other companies are working to 

boost collection and recycling rates. In fact Coca-Cola recently 

committed to recycling 100% of the aluminum bevcans and 

PET containers it uses. The company also supports recycling 

programs and has invested in a PET recycling plant operated 

by United Resource Recovery Corp., Spartanburg, SC, to provide 

food-grade recycled PET (RPET) for its containers. 

Although Coca-Cola probably won’t use 100% RPET bottles 

before the end of the decade, it is technically feasible to do 

so, a feat once thought to be impossible. At least two companies 

have commercial products on the market in 100% 

RPET containers. Innocent Ltd., London, UK, uses a 250-millilitre 

(ml) 100% RPET bottle for its ready-to-drink, refrigerated 

smoothies, and GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK, specifies 

a 500ml RPET bottle for its Ribena fruit drinks. 

On the packaging line, switching from a virgin PET to an RPET 

container should require few, if any, adjustments. However, 

injection molding or sheet/film extrusion may necessitate 

additives to improve processability and properties as well as 

special drying and filtration equipment. Even then, the RPET 

packaging may exhibit slightly diminished physical properties 

like intrinsic viscosity, tensile strength, light transmission, 

haze and clarity. It also should be noted that widespread use 

of 100% RPET packaging will require substantially a higher 

collection and recycling rate for PET containers than the 

23.5% achieved in the United States in 2006 (the most recent 

year statistics are available). 

Consumer Convenience 

Although the Nielsen Global Food Packaging Survey indicates 

nearly half of the respondents are willing to give up 

convenience packaging to benefit the environment, one 

wonders if these good intentions are actually carried at the 

cash register in the mad dash to put a meal on the table 

before Susie’s 7 p.m. soccer game. 

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Food processors queried by Food Engineering magazine, 

Bensenville, IL, in its 2007 Food Packaging Trends Survey, 

believe convenience rules, ranking third behind product 

shelf life and food safety as the force with the greatest 

impact on their business. 

Certainly, recent product introductions address consumer 

demand for convenience with newcomers like Healthy Choice 

Café Steamers entrees from ConAgra Foods, Omaha, NE, in 

steam-generating, cook-in packaging; Lean Cuisine panini 

sandwiches from Nestle USA, Glendale, CA, in microwaveable 

susceptor trays; organic coffee beans from Celestial 

Seasonings, Boulder, CO, in resealable, zippered stand-up 

pouches; and Pringles Minis potato crisps from Procter & 

Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH, in single-serving pouches. In fact, 

many of these popular products have the same features, the 

respondents in the Nielsen survey said they were willing to give 

up -- packaging designed for easy stacking/storing at home 

(49%), packaging that can be used for cooking or doubles as a 

resealable container (48%) and packaging designed for easy 

transport (47%). 

Largely ignored when package designers think of convenience 

is senior-friendliness. Although few design changes are likely to 

occur before the end of the decade, aging baby boomers and 

a rapidly growing over-80 population guarantee more attention 

post-2010 to senior-friendly features like larger type for critical 

information like best-by dates, and easier-to-manipulate opening/reclosure 

mechanisms. 

With Braille required on 

European drug packaging, 

it seems likely its 

use will become universal 

on drug packaging 

and spread to other 

product segments. 

Product Safety 

A seemingly endless succession of food recalls, a significant 

level of counterfeiting worldwide, pedigree rules looming for 

pharmaceuticals and the possibility of terrorist attack by 

tainted consumer product have left consumers uneasy and 

consumer packaged goods companies trying to identify and 

mitigate risks. 

In fact, food safety tops the list of concerns cited by food 

processors when asked what factors influence new package 

development in a survey done in 2007 by Food 

Engineering magazine. 



As a result, packagers will institute more stringent requirements 

for suppliers of packaging equipment, materials, containers and 

other components. Suppliers will be expected to certify they are 

shipping the highest quality product and demonstrate that they 

have effective measures in place to ensure their incoming 

goods are clean and contaminant-free and that their process 

prevents introduction of any contaminants. 

Heightened concern about product safety will prompt 

increased use of track-and-trace technologies like serialized 

bar coding and RFID. It also will encourage adoption of anticounterfeiting 

tools like holographic labels, micro-printing and 

taggant-equipped packaging. 

On the packaging line, greater attention will be paid to 

washdown compatibility and hygienic design, which eliminates 

areas that could collect dirt or product residue, as 

well as features like automated clean-in-place and easy 

assemble/disassemble product contact change parts. 

Cleanliness-enhancing design/components not only help 

protect product quality, but also minimize man hours needed 

for line changeover and cleanup. 

Control systems will be upgraded to enable proactive identification 

and prevention of operational glitches that could 

result in problems like under-processing. 

16

Packagers will install more quality-control equipment like X- 

ray inspectors, metal detectors, near-infrared inspection 

systems and vision systems to help minimize the chance of 

faulty product slipping through and entering the supply 

chain. There also will be increased use of rapid detection 

systems for contaminants like Listeria and E. coli. 



Fortunately, the latest quality control equipment brings 

increased functionality at a lower price. One example of the 

expanded capabilities available today is the IQ3+ variable 

frequency metal detector from Loma Systems, Inc., Carol 

Stream, IL. It can be set at any frequency between 30 and 

900 kilohertz to match the frequency of the product, overcoming 

the limitations experienced with standard metal 

detectors that operate on no more than three frequencies 

and therefore may miss smaller pieces of metal or be 

unable to inspect products in metallized packaging. 

Similarly, the patent-pending ScanTrac DUO x-ray inspection 

system from InspX LLC, Fremont, CA, uses two x-ray 

beams instead of one to improve its ability to detect foreign 

material contaminants, underfills and packaging imperfections 

in glass bottles and jars. Dual views and advanced 

image processing software increase accuracy, identify 

smaller contaminants and reduce false-reject rates to less 

than 1 in 10,000 at conveyor speeds of 700 feet or 1,400 

containers/minute. 

Concerns about food safety and the increased emphasis on 

fresh food will prompt greater use of labels and tags that 

provide a visual indicator of freshness and purity. Time-temperature 

indicator labels, which have been available for 

approximately two decades, change color as time passes 

and when storage temperature parameters are exceeded. 

Newer options include RFID tags capable of monitoring temperatures, 

and labels that detect the presence of spoilage 

organisms or pathogens. “Consumers are willing to pay 

more for packaging which guarantees freshness,” notes a 

survey about packaging trends by Datamonitor, London, UK. 

Health and Wellness 

With obesity seen as a major health problem in much of the 

developed world, skyrocketing healthcare demand and costs 

and the aging baby boomer population, interest in products 

that can improve well-being continues to rise. 



As a result, the marketplace is seeing more products with 

lower salt, fat and sugar levels, more single-serving, portion-controlled 

packs, demand for more product information, 

greater emphasis on fresh products and reduction in 

the use of artificial additives and preservatives. 

In addition to limiting salt, fat, sugar, calories, preservatives 

and/or artificial ingredients, food and beverage makers are 

introducing more functional products like pre- and probiotics 

and developing offerings that simplify preparation of balanced 

meals and improve the nutritional profile of graband-go 

foods/beverages. 

Reduction in ingredients with preservative qualities may 

necessitate conversion to packaging with higher barrier 

properties such as barrier laminations and coextrusions, 

metallized or foil-based structures and “smart” packages 

with an active component like an oxygen scavenger. On fillseal 

and form-fill-seal machines, changes in flexible packaging 

materials may require adjustments in dwell time and 

sealing, as well as a shift to more sophisticated quality 

control equipment like metal detectors and leak testers. 

According to data from IRI, sales of 100-calorie snacks 

grew 56% between November 2006 and November 2007. 

Since many single-serving products rely on pouch packaging, 

food processors will need to increase capacity by 

adding vertical form-fill-seal machines and flow wrappers. 

Food processors also are likely to install more thermoformfill-seal 

units to package products like single-serving 

applesauce, stick pack machines for dry mixes and liquid 

fillers capable of handling small bottles. 

Many products also are prominently listing calorie counts 

on labels. Campbell Soup Co., Camden, NJ, for example, 

which has offered Soup at Hand in single-serving 

microwaveable cups for several years, now flags calorie 

content on Soup at Hand varieties with 100 calories or less. 

It also has added calorie count violators to labels on cans of 

its lower calorie Campbell’s Select and red label soups. 

Today’s consumer wants more nutritional information. 

“Health and wellness are major forces in today’s marketplace 

and are having a significant impact on consumer purchase 

behavior in most food and beverage categories…,” 

reports Tatjana Meerman of Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD, 

publisher of studies like Market Trend: Low, Reduced or No 

Sodium or Salt Foods and Beverages in the U.S. 

As a result, there has been a proliferation of single-portion 

snacks and side dishes in small pouches or rigid containers. 

Portion control is definitely something consumers want. 

The demand for more nutritional information has prompted 

several companies to emphasize certain details on their 

packaging. For example, Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, has 

added Nutrition at a Glance banners to the front panels of 

18

cartons of its ready-to-eat cereal. The banners feature 

information about calorie, fat, sugar and sodium content 

and also state whether the cereal inside contains more than 

10% of an adult’s recommended daily allowance of fiber, 

magnesium, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, C or E. 



ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, NE, 

has added a nutrition guide on 

packaging for products in its 

Healthy Choice, Chef Boyardee and 

Orville Redenbacher’s lines. Based 

on MyPyramid recommendations from the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC, the label shows the 

amount of each key food group contained in each package, 

making it easier for consumers to build more healthful 

diets. For example, a Healthy Choice Fiesta Chicken meal 

that contains chicken, rice, fruit and vegetables includes a 

graphic indicating the product provides 15% of the grains, 

30% of the vegetables, 15% of the fruit and 40% of the 

meat and beans that a consumer should eat per day based 

on a 2,000-calorie diet. The new labeling complements 

ConAgra’s Start Making Choices program, which provides 

consumers with advice on living a balanced life. Information 

from the product packaging can be used in program tools 

like the Balanced Life Index to help consumers make choices 

that help achieve their health goals. 

With so many different formats, this deluge of nutritional 

information could become more confusing than useful to 

consumers, sparking calls for standardization and raising 

the specter of regulatory action. 


About PMMI 

PMMI is a trade association with more than 540 member companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related 

converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and 

materials in the United States and Canada. PMMI's vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, 

and its mission is to improve and promote members' abilities to meet the needs of their customers. Learn 

more about PMMI at pmmi.org. 

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Packaging Trends Report - PMMI

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