By Ellie Gabel
The packaging industry is witnessing a significant transformation, pivoting toward eco-friendly practices and prioritizing environmental sustainability. This shift is a response to increasing consumer environmental awareness and a necessary evolution to mitigate traditional packaging’s adverse effects on the planet.
By adopting sustainable barrier materials, the industry makes strides in reducing waste, lowering carbon footprints and conserving natural resources. This movement toward green packaging solutions represents a crucial step in the collective journey to protect and preserve the environment for future generations.
The Need for Change
Traditional packaging materials, especially single-use plastics, have a profound environmental impact, contributing to landfill waste, ocean pollution and greenhouse gas emissions during production and decomposition processes. In 2021, the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste, underscoring the urgent need for change.
In response, consumer demand for sustainable products has soared. People increasingly seek out brands with shared environmental values and packaging categorized as recyclable, compostable or made from renewable resources. This shift in consumer preferences is a powerful driver in reshaping the packaging industry.
Further, regulatory pressures compel companies to adopt greener packaging solutions. Governments worldwide implement strict regulations to curb plastic use and promote sustainability. These policies — such as bans on certain plastics and mandates for recyclable and compostable packaging — push the industry toward more eco-friendly materials.
What Are Barrier Materials?
Barrier materials are essential components in packaging, protecting products from external factors like oxygen, moisture, aromas and oils. These materials preserve the contents’ freshness, flavor and quality while extending their shelf life. By shielding against spoilage and contamination, barrier materials help ensure food and other perishable items reach consumers in the best possible condition.
Using barrier materials in packaging is crucial in reducing food and product waste. By maintaining product integrity and extending expiration, these materials allow long distribution times and reduce the need for preservatives.
USDA chemical engineer and chemist inspect casein films made with a process the engineer helped develop.
Credit: Paul Pierlot, derivative work: Sebastian Wallroth – This file was derived from: Edible packaging film.pdf
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Evolution of Eco-Friendly Barrier Materials
As the global community grows more conscious of environmental sustainability, the evolution of eco-friendly barrier materials marks a leap forward in efforts to protect the planet. Here’s how these products transformed throughout the years.
Early Innovations
The initial attempts to create more sustainable packaging options marked the beginning of a significant industry shift to reduce environmental impact. Early efforts included introducing recyclable materials, using biodegradable components from plant-based sources and reducing packaging size and material thickness to minimize waste.
These pioneering steps laid the groundwork for the ongoing development of eco-friendly packaging solutions. They emphasized the importance of sustainability in preserving the planet for future generations.
Recent Advancements
The latest advancements in eco-friendly barrier materials focus on sustainability without compromising functionality. Plant-based plastics — derived from renewable sources such as corn starch, sugarcane and potato — have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional plastics. These materials offer similar protective qualities but with a much lower environmental footprint due to their biodegradability and reduced carbon emissions during production.
Recyclable options have also gained traction, encouraged materials reuse and supported a circular economy. Moreover, recycling technologies have improved the efficiency and effectiveness of processing used packaging materials. This approach has made recycling a more viable option for businesses and consumers.
Significantly, packaging has become the biggest consumer of biodegradable bioplastics, accounting for 53% of the total bioplastics market. This statistic underscores the critical role of packaging in the growing demand for sustainable materials as industries seek to meet consumer expectations for environmentally friendly products.
Future Trends for Sustainable Barrier Materials
The trajectory of sustainable packaging can reach transformative innovations and emerging technologies. The reduction of material content — a change occurring over the last 15 years — can persist, along with developing new materials and methodologies.
Notably, bioplastic advancements are on the horizon, particularly those offering enhanced biodegradability in various environments and more efficient compostability for home systems. This new generation of bioplastics aims to surmount the challenges of current offerings by providing robust and versatile alternatives for broader environmental conditions.
Challenges in Adoption
Creating practical and environmentally friendly materials presents technical challenges, such as developing materials to match traditional packaging’s protective qualities without harming the planet.
This balance is crucial for ensuring products reach consumers in optimal condition, maintaining their freshness and integrity. However, sustainable choices can sometimes compromise aspects such as convenience, aesthetics or packaging’s ability to protect and preserve content. For example, certain eco-friendly materials may not provide the same clarity or durability as their conventional counterparts, affecting the product’s shelf appeal.
Additionally, the shift toward eco-friendly packaging often involves significant cost implications. Sustainable materials can be more expensive to produce due to the higher costs of raw materials, new manufacturing processes and the scale of production.
These costs may impact the final product price, challenging businesses to balance environmental responsibility with competitive pricing. Moreover, investing in new machinery or adapting existing production lines to accommodate eco-friendly materials represents a substantial financial undertaking. Despite these challenges, the long-term benefits of reducing environmental impact motivate ongoing innovation and adaptation in the packaging industry.
Pushing Forward with Eco-Friendly Packaging
Evolving packaging practices toward environmental sustainability is essential for reducing people’s ecological footprint and fostering a healthier planet. Consumers and businesses must continue championing eco-friendly packaging solutions, driving innovation and change benefiting the environment and future generations.
About the Author
Ellie Gabel is the sciences editor at Revolutionized, where she specializes in astronomy, environmental science, and innovative technologies.