Thirty years ago when Packaging Strategies was born, the foodservice packaging industry looked very different than it does today. Certainly the companies were different – the mergers and acquisitions that have greatly impacted the industry had not taken place – but it’s not just the companies that have changed. It’s the packaging itself and we what do with it.
Thirty years ago, your choices for foodservice packaging were virgin paper, plastic or aluminum. Today, your options are far greater with new materials like biopolymers (think PLA) and non-tree cellulose (think bagasse) making inroads in the market place. On the plastics side, we’ve seen other resins like polypropylene and PET creep into an industry long-dominated by polystyrene. This slow takeover may soon speed up as the recently-introduced insulated PP and PET foodservice offerings tempt customers. And whether its paper, plastic or aluminum, we see increased use of recycled content as material supply increases, and performance and regulatory barriers are overcome. The materials used in foodservice packaging will continue to evolve, and there’s no doubt that new materials – most likely with a “green” spin to them – will be developed from alternative sources yet to be tapped.