Dematerialization, the driving trend for most consumer packaging for the last 20 years, has hit a snag.
Typically, reducing material means using flexible or thin-walled plastic, and due to plastic’s inherent porosity, many layers of it ensure zero ingress or egress of moisture, flavor/odor, and gases. While it’s great for packaging converters, brands, and consumers, it’s not so great for waste management systems since they’re rarely—if ever—recycled.
Given the awful global situation in recycling and the hit-and-miss of biodegradability, brands have been looking toward reuse as a viable method of ensuring that the consumer has high-quality and functional packaging for their product, but with minimal material waste for when the product needs replacing.