Design For The Future

Flying cars designed for the future, jackets and shoes in different concepts, unruly technologies and many other examples are presented to our consumption. Differentiating expectations and differing trends shape the future. So how do we differentiate packaging designs for the future, or maybe the right question is, do we differentiate it?

How many of us know that the first and most important step of sustainability and recycling is packaging design? Plastic is an extraordinary material. It is inexpensive, durable, flexible and versatile. No wonder there has been a tremendous increase in demand over the past century. Recycling more plastic can reduce incineration emissions, prevent mismanagement of exported waste, and replace the need for new plastic production. The most important place where we will start recycling is our packaging. Of course, the purpose of many packaging materials we see is to interact with the consumer, protect their contents and tell a strong brand story. It may seem like a small thing, but over the past 30 years, more than 20 million bottle caps and caps have been found during beach cleanups worldwide. Current commercial designs for attaching caps to bottles are becoming increasingly lighter, and this is a small cost for beverage companies but a huge benefit for the environment. Most PET bottle caps are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene, depending on the brand owner. Sorting them down into related polymer types is a nightmare.

Now let's think… What would change for us consumers if the pet bottles were the same color and without labels? Has our purchasing preferences or brand loyalty changed? We don't think so… However, it would be a very effective method to separate and separate plastic bottles to be in the same color and without labels! It would also be very beneficial for manufacturers in terms of decreasing costs. Brands need to remove pressure sensitive labels that complicate recycling flows and instead opt for stretch labels or shrink sleeves. Aggressive adhesives are a problem, especially for recyclers of PET and HDPE packaging; Options such as self-peeling labels are already on the market. If we go even further, we must ensure that the ink on these labels does not bleed. Labels themselves need to be easily separated and recycled to avoid unwanted waste.

Colored plastic packaging is much more difficult to recycle economically than clear plastic because there is little demand for "gray recycling" that occurs when containers of all colors are combined. Mixing of colors is possible through sorting equipment, but the large number of color variations means it is impossible to produce a color that will suit any brand owner. No doubt, color is one of the essential tools of packaging designers, but its impact on a package's recyclability is enormous.

The efficiency of recycling will increase by making high quality recycled material more abundant and cheaper. As a result, the brand recycling story will come true. The first and biggest contribution of brands to recycling will be their review of packaging design standards. Designing for the future is our biggest responsibility for future generations.