Incorporating technology to double down on CPG sustainability 

Machine builders and manufacturers need to keep up with the ever-evolving consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry as it’s influenced by key trends. Those include consumer-driven sustainability, the role of technology in enhancing packaging efficiency, and improving user experience with customization solutions.

To dig into these topics, Johnathan Darling and Robby Martin joined Packaging OEM for an exclusive webinar. Darling is the North American sales manager for Acieta – Robex packaging automation. Martin, currently serving as the principal of 3-Fold Consulting, has decades of experience in manufacturing and previously worked at Bush Brothers & Company as a packaging engineer for more than 23 years.

What’s behind consumer-driven sustainability

Consumers are more likely to purchase from a company that offers sustainable packaging. According to a 2023 study from Nielsen, 92% of customers insist sustainability is important to them when making a purchase.

“It’s something that the consumer is focused on and making buying decisions on,” said Darling.

Martin explained that packaging is the most recognized aspect of sustainability for customers, as it is the primary container they directly interact with. “Sustainability certainly is a very popular topic and has gotten attention from boardrooms to plant floors and everywhere in between — and certainly with consumers,” Martin said.

However, most consumers don’t understand there are many layers of packaging that are impacted by the new materials to make a package sustainable. Moving to this format can be complicated for a CPG in terms of primary and secondary packaging, along with costs.  

Martin shared an example of a company that is successfully pushing sustainability despite the fact the organization heavily relies on plastics.

“A great example is SC Johnson. It has been very involved in dealing with plastic in the ocean,” Martin said, noting the work they are doing to educate consumers on the harm plastics do to the ocean ecosystem as well as plastic reuse initiatives.  “And they’re a company that has to use plastic, so they’ve attacked it from how much recycled material they source and got involved in that end of the puzzle,” said Martin.

Additionally, Martin explains how machinery can be used as a point of sustainability.

“Sometimes being able to get more years and more performance from a variability and flexibility standpoint out of equipment is a sustainable act in and of itself,” said Martin.

Click here to read an exclusive eBook from Packaging OEM on Household Goods: Customized, Intelligent and Sustainable.

Robby Martin, principal of 3-Fold Consulting, has decades of experience in manufacturing. Martin joined Packaging OEM to discuss how the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry is impacted by sustainability and technology. Source: Robby Martin, Adobe Stock

Leveraging technology to increase packaging efficiency

Some of the ways that technology can enhance CPG packaging efficiency include data and analytics, flexible automation, and packaging design integration.

“Automation can help improve employee engagement through development and training opportunities, where we can invest in the people who make these incredible products. And when you think about that, there’s sustainability of resources, because you’re not losing as much of the most valued resource you have, which is the people that work within your organization,” said Martin.

Flexible, reconfigurable automation is a critical enabler for CPG manufacturers to achieve their packaging and sustainability goals.

Darling emphasized that it’s not just about automating manual processes but taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. He provided an example of how to utilize technology to save a company’s bottom dollar, all while increasing the eco-footprint.

“We were working with a customer that just from the change of their pack design to go to a more standard offering, they were able to reduce their corrugate usage by 30%,” said Darling. “That’s not just a 30% reduction in corrugate waste to their customer. It’s a 30% reduction in spend. It’s 30% reduction in deliveries and carbon emissions.”

Johnathan Darling, the North American sales manager for Acieta, joined Packaging OEM to discuss how machine builders and manufacturers can incorporate technology to increase CPG sustainability. Source: Johnathan Darling, Adobe Stock

Customization solutions for user experience

With some companies offering hyper-customized products to influence customers’ purchasing decisions, Martin urged CPG companies to think it through before venturing down that road.

“Customization is really cool, but it really has its play in some limited applications,” Martin said. He suggested the use of customized packaging could be helpful in products that are super high volume, high velocity, and fast turn, such as soda cans.

Not all products require customization, and the key is finding the right balance. Companies should use customization where it provides clear value, while not letting it disrupt the broader packaging and pricing model.

“On the customization side, technology enables, but there has to be even more conversation about the value of that,” said Martin.

To keep up with the ever-evolving consumer-packaged goods industry, machine builders and manufacturers must know the evolving sustainability trends, technology opportunities, and how to increase packaging efficiency. Source: Adobe Stock.

Webinar

For more on how manufacturers, machine builders, and technology suppliers are working to build flexible solutions for the evolving CPG market, view the entire Packaging OEM webinar “How to Align and Design for CPG Packaging” for free, and on-demand, click here to join.