Top Packaging Trends 2023 – Innova Market Insights Consumer Survey

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Food and beverage market research firm Innova Market Insights has released its top five packaging trends for 2023. These come from a consumer survey conducted in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Spain, Mexico, the UK and the USA. 

Plastics Circularization: The Trend towards Circular Economy for Plastic Packaging

The trend “Plastics circularization” made it to first place. Some studies can confirm that despite a general aim to avoid plastics, the production and consumption of plastic packaging will increase. Innova Market Insights first found that 61 % of consumers worldwide believe that increased use of plastic packaging is necessary for safety reasons since the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, 72 % of consumers worldwide believe that plastic is average or better at recycling compared to other materials. About half of the respondents (52 %) even stated that they would pay more for a product if it was packaged in recyclable packaging. This suggests that forward-thinking brands will continue to focus on recyclable plastic packaging in the future. Innova Market Insights states that the trend is recognisable, for example, in an increasing shift towards mono-material films made of LDPE and PP. 

Green but Clean: Sustainable Packaging with Transparent Environmental Claims

The trend “green but clean” makes it to second place. Innova Market Insights reveal that environmental claims such as “carbon impact”, reduced packaging” and “plastic-free” on food and beverage packaging have almost doubled since 2018 (92 %). The European Commission found that more than half (53 %) of the product claims it assessed in 2020 contained “vague, misleading or unfounded information on environmental characteristics”. The surveyed consumers worldwide are calling for more transparency in sustainability claims.

Renewable Rebellion: Renewable Packaging Materials on the Rise

The third trend selected was “renewable rebellion.” The trend towards renewable packaging materials is expected to continue due to growing consumer acceptance. Only 7% of consumers worldwide consider paper packaging and only 6% consider bioplastics to be unsustainable. Drivers include concerns about environmental pollution and climate change, as well as geopolitical uncertainties regarding the availability of oil and gas.

Meaningful Connections: Connected Packaging Technology for Product Transparency

The fourth trend is “Meaningful connections”. The survey revealed that 77 % of consumers worldwide are interested in using their smartphones to engage with connected packaging technologies on the packaging. Technologies such as QR codes and NFC can be used to create greater product transparency, e. g., by displaying information and notes from the producer to the consumer for disposal.

Reusable Revival: Reusable Packaging as an Important Packaging-related Purchase Influence

The fifth trend observed was “Reusable revival”. Innova Market Insights states that reusability is considered an important packaging-related purchasing influence by 43 % of consumers worldwide. The most common reasons for rejecting reusable packaging are largely lack of availability and hygiene, cited by 29 % of consumers globally. Reusable and refillable packaging solutions are also critical to achieving the Green Deal’s goals in terms of the circular economy.