Durability. Customers demand it, regulatory authorities require it, and consumers want it. Today's consumers are even more conscious of their environmental impact, as revealed in a study published by FoodNavigator.

High Growth Rate

The study indicates that the growth rate of sustainable products is five to six times higher than the average. Consumers expect more from the products they purchase, and packaging is no exception. They seek packaging that is regenerative, recyclable, and compostable.

A Nielsen IQ study found that 78% of customers appreciate sustainability, and 43% base their purchasing decisions on the environmental impact of product packaging.

Moreover, consumers are willing to make a conscious effort to have a positive impact on the planet. Euromonitor research found that 44% of consumers choose sustainable packaging and prioritize recycling statements over specific materials used. This indicates a broad understanding and awareness of recycling practices among consumers.

The evolving landscape of increased consumer expectations and regulatory changes is shaping the future of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Consumers are shifting their spending towards products with ESG-related claims.

A five-year study on 44,000 brands and private labels by McKinsey & Company and NielsenIQ in May 2023 demonstrated a clear and substantial correlation between consumer spending and sustainability claims regarding product packaging in many categories.

One of the sustainable packaging solutions that Huhtamaki offers its customers to meet these demands is carton technology, using paper from certified and sustainable forestry. Employing innovative paper forming and barrier technologies, companies can create sustainable carton packaging solutions that are recyclable and functional, with a comparable shelf life.

Innovative Paper-Based Packaging Solutions, Tailored to FMCG Applications

Huhtamaki is innovating to redesign the future of sustainable packaging. Its sustainable carton packaging solutions are designed to match the functionality and performance of rigid plastic packaging. This makes carton a smart choice for the company's fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) customers.

One of its well-known products is the paper-based ice cream containers and lids for Carte D'Or, launched in February 2022 in the United Kingdom.

Huhtamaki's creative and technical teams collaborate to develop customized paper-based packaging solutions to support Unilever's transition from traditional plastic containers to fully recyclable paper tubs and lids.

By choosing Huhtamaki's paper-based packaging, the customer reduces the use of plastic in Carte D'Or ice cream cartons by 93%. Transitioning to recyclable paper-based packaging will help the brand eliminate over 900 tons of virgin plastic annually in the United Kingdom.

In North America, Huhtamaki introduced the ICON® packaging, an innovative and recyclable ice cream packaging solution in November 2022 to meet the demand for sustainable packaging. The growth rates of packaging in North America are estimated at 2-3% per year in retail markets, food services, and FMCG. ICON® packaging is made with 95% renewable material, combined with Huhtamaki's proprietary water-based barrier coating, and certified Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Carton.

Additionally, the technology allows ice cream packaging to more easily enter the existing recycling stream in North America, enabling U.S. consumers to recycle ice cream tubs and lids just like other paper products, such as folding cartons.

Sustainability Driven by Packaging Innovation

As an industry leader, Huhtamaki has invested in technologies to produce more sustainable packaging solutions using carton, fibers, and flexible technologies. For example, Huhtamaki's fiber solutions offer state-of-the-art patented technologies for both smooth molded fibers and rough molded fiber packaging.

Some of the products available on the market are Huhtamaki's fiber lids for hot and cold beverages to complement the company's recyclable paper cup pack, egg packaging, and food packaging for shelf and on-the-go applications. These molded fiber packaging solutions are functional, performance-driven, scalable, and necessary substitutes for plastic.

Huhtamaki demonstrates that it can create new packaging solutions fit for the future, pushing boundaries by collaborating with customers through multiple cutting-edge technologies, materials, and high-level food barrier solutions.

Huhtamaki is a solution provider and a strategic partner for customers, with a global footprint to match theirs. Huhtamaki has a global network of carton and fiber factories to ensure close collaboration, co-creation, production, and transportation. Huhtamaki has an innovation portfolio and a roadmap for future sustainable solutions.

The company's front-end innovation team tracks long-term market needs and trends globally, opening up innovations from the market, customers, consumers, and the regulatory landscape. By leveraging these perspectives, the teams can navigate in this direction for their customers and jointly develop future-ready, tailored innovations.

Working in Partnership Across the Value Chain

Globally, packaging plays a fundamental role in building sustainable and resilient food systems. To create a more sustainable future, Huhtamaki collaborates proactively with key stakeholders, believing that no organization can address sustainability challenges alone.

Together, everyone must build a common understanding of sustainable development that considers the balance between environmental, social, and economic factors, based on fact-based conversations.

For example, the Cup Collective initiative exemplifies Huhtamaki's commitment to making systemic change to demonstrate that paper cups are recyclable and recycled. Cup Collective is a unique European partnership program focusing on industrial-scale recycling of paper cups.

Launched in Brussels in 2022 in collaboration with Stora Enso, its goal is to make recycling paper cups a norm for everyone, making it easier for both consumers and businesses. The initiative, targeting the recycling and regeneration of paper cups on an industrial scale, aiming for at least 5,000 tons in the coming years, is expanding across Europe and through projects in Asia.

At Huhtamaki, everyone contributes to redesigning the future of sustainable packaging solutions. Explore how its cutting-edge technologies can help grow your business while making a positive impact on the environment.

References

1. McKinsey & Company. Prioritizing sustainability in the consumer sector.
2. NielsenIQ. Sustainability: the new consumer spending outlook.
3. Euromonitor. 2022. Sustainable Packaging Features.
4. McKinsey & Company. Consumers are in fact buying sustainable goods: Highlights from new research.
5. Data provided by Huhtamaki.