In 2021 the global packaging market was valued at 1002.48 billion dollars. According to the estimation, between 2022 and 2027, the global packaging market will increase to 1275.06 billion dollars with a CAGR of 3.94%. In 2019 pharmaceutical packaging was worth 90.23 billion and it is expected to reach 178.8 billion by 2031 with a CAGR of 7.4 per cent. Only a few months of 2022 are left but this year showed us many important packaging trends, let’s have a look!

1. Packaging Automation:

Manual packaging inspection has been around since the beginning of time. Manual packaging leaves room for error in quality, safety and precision. The consequences of these mistakes are severe especially when it comes to pharmaceutical packaging because people’s lives depend on it. The pharmaceutical cold storage packaging should be perfect; to remove the chances of human error automation is becoming common. The packaging should be sound enough to bear the brunt of hard shipping conditions. Apart from separate control at each step, automation allows for an all-in-one quality control program that can be integrated into hardware.

2. Use of Bioplastics and Paper:

The world as we have always known it is highly dependent on plastic usage, from grocery bags to water bottles and straws. Plastic is used in everything. But now, the replacement of plastics with more eco-friendly materials has become possible. Bioplastic came as a replacement for plastic packaging but it was found that it poses many similar problems as plastic and is difficult to composite, not to mention all the resources required to create it. Paper has always been considered an eco-friendly alternative to plastic and is now being used as a replacement in packaging. But removing plastic from our daily lives still needs a lot of work.

3. Designed to Reuse:

A shift in consumer behaviour occurred in 2022 and many consumers opted for reusable packaging. Although the idea has been around for a while now, it is getting much more attention. This trend has been beneficial not only for the customers but also the businesses. But a problem is that small business can not afford reusable packaging because the materials required to make a packaging stand washing and environmental stress are expensive. Businesses are investing more in trying to create reusable packaging that works perfectly.

4. Recyclable Packaging:

Although recycling has been around for quite some time, the awareness among people about the importance of recycling for the environment has seen an incredible increase in the last few years. The recycling rate increased from less than 7 per cent in the last century to 32% in 2021 and stats are only rising. Although most customers are now demanding recyclable packaging for their products; though, whether or not they follow through with recycling is not yet known due to insufficient data. Like reusable packaging, recycling needs a massive consumer mind shift. Many businesses are taking steps to make their packaging eco-friendly and recycle on popular customer demand.