We’re already seeing a few key themes when it comes to packaging and packaging finishes in 2019. We’ve identified three of the most important trends for the year, which are likely to influence businesses and consumers alike.

Sustainable Packaging & Finishes

With protecting the environment and reducing single-use plastics popular topics in the news and on social media, it’s hardly a surprise that sustainable packaging will be one of the key packaging trends in 2019.

But what exactly does this mean for today’s brands, producers and manufacturers? As consumers become increasingly savvy in understanding the basics of how packaging is produced, consumers will look to their favorite brands to reduce or eliminate their use of plastics in packaging finishes, and use sustainably sourced and recyclable packaging materials.

In a practical sense, we expect to see consumers look to the companies they’re purchasing from to reassure them that their packaging as a whole is eco-friendly – all the way down to the finishes applied.

Efficient Packaging

Long gone are the days where fiddly, hard-to-open packaging was something to be endured: today’s consumers consider the best packaging to be both easy to get into and appropriately sized. Packaging that is bulky and much larger than the product contained within it may be perceived by consumers as unnecessarily wasteful, which many brands will be keen to avoid.

Another feature which will remain key for today’s manufacturers and producers will be that packaging must be efficient and perform precisely what is required of it: quick examples no-go’s include wet strength labels with low water resistance or face stock for blister packaging which doesn’t give easily when consumers want to open the product.

Essentially, all this means that one of 2019’s packaging trends will be the continuation of what we’ve seen over the last years: bigger isn’t always better, and packaging which is difficult to open or which doesn’t perform exactly as it should will frustrate consumers and brands alike.

Design

Whether they’re looking for bold, high gloss looks or minimal pastel finishes, this year will see brands look to build meaningful connections and convey their values and story to consumers via packaging.

While sustainability is a key theme for packaging this year, it ties in closely with design: companies will be looking to embrace eco-friendly finishes in a way that doesn’t restrict their ability to deliver designs in line with their vision and imagination.

2019: the outlook

It’s going to be interesting to see how packaging trends evolve over 2019. Sustainability is set to be a key driver of change for the year, and brands will generally try and embrace the movement towards eco-friendly packaging and finishes, but only when sustainability can be paired with the designs that appeal to today’s brands and consumers.

Likewise, brands are already thinking about how to make their packaging smaller or more streamlined and they’re again, happy to make the change, but only without losing the impact they desire from their packaging, meaning modern looking, quality finishes are a key consideration in 2019.