Rethinking packaging in 2021: seven trends to shape the future

Published 11 May 2021

After a life-changing year 2020, Stora Enso set out to understand the most recent packaging trends and their underlying factors, growth areas and changes in decision-making. We asked our sales, business development and design professionals, who know our customers like the back of their hands, to tell us about current demands.

Packaging today plays several roles at the same time, making it something of a balancing act. Finding a sweet spot between performance and environmental footprint at a reasonable cost is not easy, especially when brands want to increase their value as well. Additionally, the entire industry continues to deal with changing legislation and overlapping needs.

There is also a global shift in the consumer mindset. Consumers everywhere want to be good citizens. They place a lot of emotional value on being more mindful of what they buy and not being wasteful. This way of consuming makes them feel like part of something bigger, by contributing to a better world. However, solutions need to be convenient and affordable in addition to being sustainable and circular.

Based on our survey, we have identified seven trends that will shape the future:

• Sustainability is a license to play
• From abundant design to minimalism
• E-commerce - how much will remain?
• Packaging is more than a box
• Navigating structural change
• Urgency to adapt legislation
• Joint development instead of transactions

Do you want to know what the growth areas and most sought-after features in packaging are? Do you want to know how close we are to creating 'a truly green package that is fit for purpose'?

Read the full report now and find out how to reap the benefits of trends in packaging!