Sustainability in all forms takes centre stage again PACK EXPO International
Boardio canister packaging by Graphic Packaging. Image: Vanessa L Facenda
At this year’s PACK EXPO International 2024 (3-6 November in Chicago, Illinois) advances in packaging and processing technologies and automation and robotics were on display, to no surprise, but sustainability –which has been prevalent at PACK EXPO shows for several years – in all forms, from new packaging materials to new initiatives to new regulations, was a significant focus, perhaps more so than ever before.
PACK EXPO International organiser, PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies) announced that the show featured 2,700 exhibitors providing solutions in more than 40 vertical markets and welcomed 48,000 attendees.
Amid continuing global economic pressures, PMMI reported that the packaging machinery industry has shown resilience and adaptability. According to its newly released State of the Industry: US Packaging Machinery report, which Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market develop at PMMI, discussed at the Media Briefing during the show, the US packaging machinery market is projected to reach USD $11.1 billion in 2024, driven by automation and sustainability. Industry growth is expected to peak in 2027, with a continued focus on innovative solutions to meet evolving consumer and regulatory demands.
According to the report, growth for the first half of 2024 was bolstered by the “clearing of remaining backlogs from the pandemic, the continued adoption of automated solutions, and the increasing demand for new machines to accommodate new packaging styles.” However, as the year continued, backlogs largely dried up as new orders slowed. The softened demand resulted in lower growth for the year overall, with a growth of 5.8%, reaching a value of USD $10.9 billion of new machines shipped, per the report.
The lighter demand for new machinery continued into 2024. The report reveals that the packaging machinery sector is expected to experience its slowest growth year compared to the last three years in the industry. PMMI noted that the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates high and the uncertainty surrounding the US election contributed to the slowdown.
PMMI expects sales of new machinery to begin rising again in the second half of 2024 “as the wait-and-see mentality dissipates.” Furthermore, PMMI believes that there will likely be more requests for end-of-line automation as many companies continue to struggle with retaining labour for production lines. Growth is expected to peak again in 2027, “in line with the three-year peak-to-trough cycle that we have come to expect in this market.”
The report finds that the beverage industry proved resilient with a steady demand for drinks of all kinds. Recent trends include diversification of drink sizes — as evidenced by the displays at many exhibitor’s booths at the show, such as Tetra Pak, whose ready-to-drink packaging sizes ranged from 200ml to 1000ml.
Sustainability is one of the most significant topics in the packaging industry today. And while the US has less stringent regulations compared to the EU, major players are increasingly shifting towards more sustainable packaging solutions. The PMMI report reveals that many companies are moving away from single-use plastics (SUPs) in favour of paperboard and other eco-friendly materials. This trend is driven by both regulatory pressure and of course, consumer demand for greener alternatives.
In addition to Tetra Pak’s aseptic paperboard, aluminum, and polyethylene packaging, Graphic Packaging was showcasing its Boardio packaging. Boardio is a fiber-based canister that can be tailored from low to high barrier protection, making it suitable for different applications. Folgers debuted its 1850 coffee brand in Boardio packaging in Walmart and Costco stores earlier this year, and both Walmart and Target rolled out their store-branded coffees in Boardio packaging in September and October.
A significant trend to watch is the shift in packaging materials, with glass and cans gaining popularity as the industry seeks more alternatives to plastic. However, aluminum is also growing in popularity given that it is infinitely recyclable. GEA Processing was showcasing its new Uni Bloc Flex aseptic filling machine, which is a bottle sterilizer, rinser, filler and capper all in one as there has been a movement toward consolidation of machines within the filling and packaging sector.
Tucker Scofield, packaging sales manager, liquids and powders, noted that GEA’s machine is the only one on the market doing aseptic aluminum. “It’s not a new technology –it’s been around for 25 years – but it’s new for aluminum bottles,” he said. “Aseptic is really becoming popular now because technology is making it easier to do.” Scofield added that there has been a lot of interest from coffee, tea and water brands. The Uni Bloc Flex can also fill glass and PET bottles.
New packaging regulations coming to the US was also a major topic of discussion, but I’ll save that for a future blog.
- Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
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