Food packaging dates back to ancient civilisation. Empty shells and leaves were used to transport food before the Egyptians discovered they could keep mould glass containers to store both food and water. Jumping further through time, tin cans entered the market in 1810 and cardboard boxes appeared in 1817.
Further forward still innovative aluminium packaging was developed in 1959 and plastic bottles were invented in 1973.
Today, the world of food packaging looks quite different. While all these forms of containers continue to be used, there’s constant debate surrounding which is the right choice:
The answer to the latter question is simple. Customers do care about the packaging used for products. Indeed, various reports demonstrate the right choice of packaging can secure a sale and even alter the perception of a brand.
So let’s look at how food packaging is evolving and why it’s important for you as well as your customers.
In terms of history, plastic packaging hasn’t been around for that long. Yet in the time it’s entered the market, it’s certainly caused a lot of damage. Plastic is adding to the pollution of the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, and even the blood circulating our bodies.
It’s no surprise then that food businesses are working to dramatically reduce their reliance on packaging. Instead of using plastic, food is commonly sold in packaging made from bioplastics like PLA - an option ideal for windows on pouch packaging or tin boxes. Bioplastic packaging has one clear benefit - it’s fully biodegradable.
Single-use packaging is another outdated idea that businesses are moving away from. Customers demand sustainable choices that won’t add to the level of waste they are responsible for. Innovative packaging solutions are readily available on the market which can be reused, repurposed and recycled as much as consumers like. This includes metal packaging - perfect for biscuits, cakes, and sweets. Metal packaging can be reused an infinite amount of times and always provides the same high-quality solution.
We already mentioned that bioplastics are fully biodegradable, but this isn’t the only food packaging material which fits within this category.
Kraft paper packaging is also fully biodegradable. This means that they will decompose completely when disposed of in a normal waste system. Unlike plastic food packaging, it won’t harm the environment and the broken down materials may even benefit the surrounding soil. This is one of the reasons why biodegradable, compostable packaging is now the preferred choice for consumers across Europe.
So, modern food packaging is more sustainable, but it needs to hit other targets as well. Consumers won’t trade practicality for sustainability. Modern food packaging still needs to keep food safe, fresh, and it needs to be user-friendly. This is another reason why metal packaging like aluminium tins is becoming a popular choice. They are highly durable and corrosion-resistant.
When choosing or designing packaging for a food product, it’s also worth being a little more smart. These days, it’s possible to blend standard packaging with clever tech choices that provide extra value to consumers. For instance, you can add QR codes to labels which immediately provide key information including calorie counts. This could then be instantly uploaded to any fitness app. Another smart tech may alert customers when a product is out of date or keep items fresh for longer. Some of these ideas are being patented right now and others are already on the market. Ultimately, food packaging is going to get a lot smarter and utilise the best tech to benefit consumers.
We hope you have found this article helpful. At Tinware Direct we have a wonderful range of packaging options ideal for food items including biscuits, sweets, herbs and spices, and much more. Take a look at our choices now or get in touch with our team to learn more about our tins, cardboard tubes and stand-up pouches.