The packaging sector will grow by around 6% in Spain over the next four years due to the increase in e-commerce, the change in purchasing habits and the transformation of family nuclei. This is one of the main conclusions drawn from the first day of Pick & Pack, the benchmark boutique event for industrial professionals looking for packaging, picking and distribution solutions, which is being held at IFEMA Madrid.
As highlighted at the summit, the growth of the packaging industry will be marked by three macro trends that all the players in the value chain must take into account: digitization, sustainability and design.
Regarding digitization, Alex Brossa, director of the Packaging Cluster, has highlighted the role played by containers and labels with the rise of electronic commerce, "since they facilitate protection, have logistical advantages and a more powerful branding can be developed through packaging". In addition, Brossa has focused on Smart packaging, which allows more product information and better preservation, although he has stressed that "the challenge now is to make smart packaging sustainable, which incorporates elements that are difficult to take advantage of".
For its part, Laura Peregrin, Head of Packaging at VMLY&R, has highlighted the technological revolution as a lever to change the way packaging is produced and presented. “Augmented reality creates interactive elements that greatly enhance the customer experience; digital printing offers direct personalization in the packaging that adds value to the product; the metaverse helps us test how a new design works at the point of sale; or QR codes and NaviLens technology, give us information about the product and make the packaging more inclusive”, explained Peregín. Precisely, Javier Pita, CEO of Navilens, has attended Pick&Pack 2023 this morning to share the inclusive packaging success story that they promoted in 2020, together with Kellog.
If there is a technology that is being exponential in all sectors, this is Artificial Intelligence. "In packaging it is very useful for us to know what consumers think, their preferences, sales data, and reduce waste in production in order to make better decisions," Peregín specified.
The packaging of the 3 Rs
The entry into force of the new regulation to reduce packaging waste, in application of European directives, has taken over a large part of the agenda of National Congress of Packaging 4.0. In this sense, the measures are based on specific objectives in reuse, reduction and recycling of packaging for the coming years. Thus, 90% of the beer bottles consumed must be within a reuse process in 2035; o In two years, the weight of packaging waste produced will have to be reduced by 13%, among many other actions. In this regard, Brossa has pointed out the relevance of ecodesign to reduce the amount of plastic in packaging, although he has also qualified that "we are not going to see less plastic, but we are going to see that all the product can be recycled". “All of this will create secondary markets where many companies will find business opportunities based on the circular economy and recycling. In fact, we are already seeing how many startups are taking this path”, he added.
Likewise, Peregrín has highlighted the reduction of superfluous elements to create experiences, the use of recyclable, mono-material and compostable materials, the use of reusable packaging or servitization, as solutions to contribute to sustainability and satisfy customer needs. "Some proposals that are emerging are the application of mycelium to replace polystyrene, which is 100% natural, or the 'refill & reuse' system", he indicated.
Innovation and sustainability, protagonists of the inauguration of Pick&Pack
Innovation and sustainability in intralogistics, logistics and packaging have also been the two concepts that have focused the opening day of Pick&Pack 2023. Cristina Aparicio, General Director of Circular Economy of the Government of the Community of Madrid; Susana Magro, General Deputy Director of Mobility and Transport Planning of the Madrid City Council; Francis Aranda, President of UNO, and Marina Uceda, Director of Pick&Pack, have kicked off the summit by highlighting the economic engine that logistics and packaging are for our country.
In this sense, Aranda has stressed that "if Spain wants to be a global logistics hub, we have to improve our infrastructures, improve customs management, promote the digitization of the supply chain, strengthen foreign promotion, and increase human capital."
Regarding distribution, Susana Magro has indicated that "the challenge now is to manage mobility in large cities such as Madrid, where the urban distribution of goods represents 11% of the circulating park, taking into account our ordinances on air quality and the climate neutrality”. It is for this reason that, in the words of Cristina Aparicio, "we have to work together to find sustainable solutions for logistics and packaging with the aim of defining a green and circular economy without influencing the economic prosperity of both sectors, which are activities very significant for the country.
