Future brief: Film & Packaging
Use the links below to explore this Future Brief and discover related products.
Doing better with less, designed for circularity
Better packaging starts with less. Fewer resources, less waste, and eliminating barriers to the circular economy are all powered by the right materials.
Packaging that does better with less isn’t the end goal. It’s the starting point for everything lighter and less wasteful. It proves your commitment to your customers and builds lasting trust and confidence.
It’s 2035. Leila just finished lunch at home. Her ready-meal came in an ultra-light bowl designed for recyclability and so smart that it warned her it was nearing expiration. Now she can head out to refill her skincare bottle for the sixth time. It’s effortless and sustainable, and that’s the point.
Welcome to the future of Film & Packaging. A future built on innovative new circular materials that deliver maximum performance and protection. Every resin, film, and coating must now earn its place in the circular system to lower our carbon footprints.
 
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“Circular design isn’t about what looks sustainable, it’s about what holds up under pressure,” says Marta Clavero, Expert Team Lead for Film & Packaging at IMCD Advanced Materials. “We need to stop chasing appearances and start building packaging that performs systemically and honestly.” |
Key drivers shaping the next generation of packaging
Today, packaging is mainly part of linear systems, often single-use, and disconnected from the full lifecycle of the products it protects. This needs to change, and materials make much-needed innovation possible.
The world will soon be home to nearly 9 billion people, including a growing elderly population. With supply chains reaching ever farther to meet increasing demand, packaging needs to step up and deliver extended shelf-life over longer distances.
At the same time, consumer expectations and tighter environmental regulations will require us all to minimise waste and emissions. To stay efficient and competitive, tomorrow’s packaging needs to be smarter, lighter and more circular.
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“Efficiency is a question of performance per gram, recyclability per SKU, and carbon reduction per use,” explains Suthiphong Asawamongkolchai, Film & Packaging Expert at IMCD Advanced Materials. “Packaging needs to do exactly what’s required. No more, no less.” |
Doing better with less
So, packaging needs to deliver more protection and performance while using less resources. This means making every design decision count from design to polymer selection, production and use.
Here’s how doing better with less translates into some of the choices you’re facing.
| If you want to… | You can… |
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| Reduce weight, complexity and improve recyclability |
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| Deliver protection with less material |
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| Design for the system, not just the shelf |
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| Meet regulation and consumer expectations |
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Real progress towards better solutions
The shift is well underway. And the industry is showing it can be done. Here are just a few ways the packaging industry can move decisively toward a better future with materials that are:
- Efficient packaging with mono-material film manufacturing
- Intelligent packaging: smarter solutions for the future
- Refillable packaging: durable, sustainable, and convenient
- Reusable packaging: durable, practical, and cost-effective
- Informative packaging: guiding consumers toward better disposal
Are you future-ready?
Across every sector, packaging is becoming future-ready with more precision, more circularity, and more value per gram. And it can all be achieved with less weight, less material and less environmental impact.
Medical packaging is becoming smarter and safer. Beauty formats are shifting to refills by default. Food protection is tailored by AI to match real-time needs. The solutions are out there and the right choices today can set your business up for long-term success.
At IMCD, we help you navigate what’s next. With the right materials, design insight, and technical support, you can act now with confidence.
Let’s optimise your packaging ambitions in the right direction and start shaping a smarter, lighter future.
Reach out to your local IMCD Advanced Materials representative today.
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Efficient packaging with mono-material film manufacturing