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Looking Back to Look Forward: 6 Long-Term Packaging Trends to Watch

According to PTIS, the industry is about to embark on a transformation driven toward a circular economy of packaging where recycling plays a role but coupled with far more reusable/refillable and compostable packs, driven by the digitization of packaging.

PTIS and its partners look beyond current trends to identify the potential for Horizon 3—transformational changes that could dramatically impact how packaging is produced, sold, and integrated into the circular economy.
PTIS and its partners look beyond current trends to identify the potential for Horizon 3—transformational changes that could dramatically impact how packaging is produced, sold, and integrated into the circular economy.

We've all heard the saying that hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, it's easy to see how events unfolded, connect the dots, and understand the causal relationships that led us to where we are today. But what about foresight? Is it possible to look forward with the same level of clarity? Can we predict the future? The short answer is no, at least not with absolute certainty. But the practice of foresight allows us to anticipate a range of possible futures and systematically analyze them. By doing so, we can make better decisions in the present that will positively impact our future.

To that end, for 20 years PTIS and its futurist partners have led a triennial, pre-competitive program called the Future of Packaging with dozens of companies, each looking out over the next three, five, and 10 years. Participants have included CPGs and retailers large and small, as well as packaging converters and raw material suppliers—who leverage the outputs and insights to develop strategic plans for their Packaging Organizations and Companies.

Participating companies send two to three representatives to three unique sessions throughout the year where they learn and participate in facilitated work sessions and networking with their industry peers. They’re essentially co-creating the future of packaging. Past meeting locations included Microsoft’s Home and Office of the Future, NASA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Georgia’s Material Science Center, and Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures. This initiative informs participants’ strategies, plans, and investments.

Track record of identifying trends

Future of Packaging participants say they are positioned to be ahead of the curve by identifying and preparing for significant shifts in the packaging industry. One notable scenario included considering the spike in oil prices to $145 per barrel (2008) at a time when the actual price was less than $60 and industry experts said it would top out in the mid-$90s (2007). Such foresight allowed companies to make strategic adjustments, mitigating risks and seizing opportunities.

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