Grant Gerke

One silver lining from the 2020 pandemic was how resilient businesses and workers became and how new forms of technology were adopted to keep operations running. For example, online conference calls allowed for business continuity, and now companies have adopted these hybrid approaches to business, including brands and printers.

In 2022, the circular economy is the de facto buzzword in the food and beverage world and, quite frankly, the industry is undergoing massive change in all areas: consumer behavior and expectations, smart manufacturing investments, and sustainability partnerships.

In a few years, flexible packaging analysts may look back at 2022 as a transformative year when advanced recycling and circularity infrastructure investments took hold. 

New brand owners are finding numerous ways to enter retail or e-commerce channels, and a big reason why so many brands are successful is the ability to produce high-end packaging that stands out to consumers. 

So, the flexible packaging segment is at an inflection point with recycled content. The good news is that more investments are being made into municipal recycling in the U.S.; more than $1 billion in investments was made before U.S. infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 was passed late last year.