Christmas-themed seasonal packaging

Plastics continue to dominate the dairy packaging industry. Environmental sustainability and product freshness are the primary concerns for dairy producers, with more than half of recently launched dairy products being made with recyclable packaging materials and/or reclosable features, according to Innova Market Insights.

While Halloween-themed offerings are found across various categories in limited-edition flavors or seasonal packaging design, nearly two-thirds of all F&B launches are from the confectionery category, followed by bakery, which account for one-fifth of all launches.

The summer holidays are coming to an end, heralding in a new school year for millions of children across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted strongly on launch activity for lunchbox-ready products, with much of the global population working or studying from home. The launch activity for lunchbox-friendly packaging has reduced by 40 percent when comparing H1 2020 to H1 2019. The top five categories for lunchbox-friendly launches are bakery, cereals, dairy, snacks and soft drinks, which account for nearly three-quarters of all launches.

Plastic continues to dominate the ready meals segment, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all launches globally within the category, according to Innova Market Insights. In 2019, almost half of all ready meals were packaged in packets, while trays account for a quarter of all launches. Innovation has turned toward the increased use of post-consumer recycled materials and the replacement of non-recyclable materials with easily recyclable or compostable materials.

Glass continues to dominate the sauces and spreads packaging landscape, accounting for approximately half of all launches within the category, according to Innova Market Insights. Spreads and sauces packaged in jars and bottles made up nearly 75 percent of all launches in 2019. Meanwhile, non-recyclable plastics are giving way to recyclable alternatives such as PET, which has witnessed a + 4.1ppt increase in share (2019 vs. 2015 Global) within the sauces and spreads segment.

Plastics continue to be the most popular packaging material in the Ready-to-drink (RTD) category with PET recording an increase in launch activity. Non-recyclable plastics are giving way to recyclable alternatives such as HDPE, PP and PET. Aluminum cans are also achieving increased adoption, owing to their high recyclability and single-serve convenience. The use of “Infinitely Recyclable” claims is more prevalent within aluminum cans. However, there is no major shift to glass packaging in the RTD category, despite the material’s use in carbonates, juices and nectars and iced tea.