The environment will remain a major issue for the packaging industry. Issues involving recycling, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and source reduction will remain on the agenda of all governments in Australia. The driving forces are threefold - the consumer, commercial interests and government legislation. On the commercial side, supply chain factors will play a key role. Indeed, supply chain pressures are likely to play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of packaging.
Cost is a major determinant in the selection of packaging by user companies.
It defies commercial reality for a company to deliberately package a product with more packaging than is necessary thus increasing cost. Excessively packaged goods reduce the amount of shelf space available for other goods to be displayed. The incidence of excessive packaging has never been high and these supply chain pressures are likely to see even fewer examples of such packaging. In the United States and Europe, sales of products in modified atmosphere packaging are increasing significantly. Other products to extend shelf-life are also gaining ground.