Personalized, protected and connected: SIG VP predicts the future of packaging

16 Mar 2020 --- As the food and beverage industry undergoes dramatic changes, brands and producers are questioning how packaging could evolve in the decades to come. Ali Kaylan, Vice President of Global Marketing at SIG, a global leader in aseptic carton packaging, shares his ideas on how consumer interaction with packaging could look in tomorrow’s world, including enhanced personalization, connectivity, shelf-life and nanotechnology.

A personal touch
As lifestyles become busier, consumers will continue to crave convenience. As part of this, we can expect a new level of personalization that takes product individualization to the extreme, says Kaylan. Consumers already favor products tailored to their personality and image. But with advancing technology, printing and data collection, we can expect more packaging that’s highly customized, personalized or localized.

“Putting someone’s name or face on a package is only scratching the surface. From unique designs created by consumers themselves, and packaging that instantly reflects local, political or sporting events, to products that can be personalized and localized at the point of sale, tomorrow’s packaging will be able to meet the rapidly changing needs of consumers in more ways than possible today,” Kaylan explains.Ali Kaylan, Vice President of Global Marketing at SIG.

“Technical barriers at the intersection of high-volume production and customization and delivering consistent utility and premium value to consumers and our customers alike are probably the biggest challenges,” Kaylan tells PackagingInsights. “We believe environmental perspectives and social media are enablers which can help increase traction.”

Protection potential
Over the new few decades, food and water shortages are set to become a growing global challenge. To help reduce issues such as food waste and loss, protective packaging will play a key role in making food safer and more accessible as it’s transported over longer distances and needs to stay fresher for longer. 

“This demand for more protection will be balanced by the demand for more sustainability with highly protective packaging that’s also greener, lighter and more efficient to transport. Innovation will lie in creating packaging at the intersection of sustainably sourced materials, full recyclability and recycled content, and sensible non-industrial biodegradability or composability, and great distribution efficiency with no compromises in performance or functionality,” Kaylan notes.

Kaylan explains that the shelf-life of aseptically packed SIG products are typically in the range of 12 months. Given SIG’s desire to increase its industry-leading sustainability footprint, the supplier continuously looks at barrier technologies which have a better carbon footprint than the aluminum barrier that it typically uses, while driving increased use of recycled content and recyclability.

“How could packaging evolve in the coming decades?” is a common question being asked by brands amid rapid industry shifts.In some instances, there are trade-offs with shelf-life, Kaylan points out. “For example, our combibloc EcoPlus packs have reduced carbon footprint due to their alu-free structure, but also offer a shorter shelf-life. For us, the biggest challenge is indeed balancing sustainability elements while also maintaining our 12-month shelf-life. In that quest, we look at a wide variety of technologies in our R&D, also working with external partners.”

QR codes and beyond
Packaging is getting smarter but how smart could it be, questions Kaylan? The possibilities of printed electronics is already clear as QR codes, NFC, RFID and LED solutions are developing to offer consumers a new level of interaction and infotainment.

SIG recently conducted almost 3,000 interviews to better understand how consumers interact with QR codes. In Brazil and Europe, usage rates were fairly similar with just 7 percent and 8 percent of consumers, respectively, scanning QR codes several times a week. In China, however, this figure rose to 50 percent – with consumers predominantly hoping to gain financial rewards.

“We currently offer PAC.ENGAGE and PAC.TRUST solutions. Our PAC.ENGAGE solution is QR code-based and is supported by our marketing platform to deliver turn-key promotion and consumer loyalty possibilities to our customers. Our PAC.TRUST solution delivers track and trace capabilities through individual package tracking from end-consumer back to the origin farm,” Kaylan tells PackagingInsights.Connected packaging has emerged as a unique way for food and beverage producers to connect with consumers.

A notable example is SIG’s customer Languiru in Brazil which is using its Track and Trace solution, exclusively delivering consumers product-traceability back to its origin at the farm level. 

“We also continue to pursue alternate technologies beyond QR codes,” Kaylan notes.

Nanotechnology
Another growing area is the realm of nanotechnology, which is set to open up a world of benefits on a molecular level, according to Kaylan.

Packaging made from nanomaterials could provide a better protective barrier against light and air and extend shelf-lives even further. Nanotechnology could also advance active packaging with materials that interact with a product’s contents to combat microbes and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Nanomaterial packaging could also monitor a product’s content so consumers can check if it’s still fit for consumption, and also see the specific nutrient content on the pack in real-time.

“This level of molecular monitoring is still some way off but all signs are pointing to a future where nanotechnology could revolutionize packaging,” Kaylan concludes.

By Joshua Poole