Global e-commerce growth drives packaging innovations/Trend towards sustainable packaging solutions/Integrated smart technologies could benefit customers and companies/Smithers Pira report

摘要

Growth in e-commerce is driving innovations in packaging design.For improved sustainability,packaging needs to be lightweight and right-sized,while smart technologies are enabling enhanced communication with consumers,says a new Smithers Pira(Leatherhead/UK;www.smitherspira.com)report titled”The Impact of E-Commerce on Packaging: Long-term Forecasts to 2029”.E-commerce is developing fast,with annual growth in the last few years averaging just over 20%.The global market for e-commerce packaging is today worth around USD 35 bn(EUR 31.4 bn),says the report.There is a clear trend towards more sustainable packaging,including using lightweight,robust,right-sized packaging that can be easily recycled,along with an avoidance of shipping by air.There is also a trend towards reusable packaging-While plastics are being heavily criticised,particularly single-use plastics,Amazon,for example,has declared that it will use more flexible plastic mailers.”New materials are being developed and we will see,for example,more bioplastfes and alternatives to EPS,”says the report.Legislation is also pushing towards the use of more sustainable packaging mate-rials.Smithers Pira also says there will be visible changes to the last mile of transport,such as more electric vehicles,drones and rovers.Autonomous cars will also play a role.