Aluminum Key to Sustainability Movement in Package Design

     Creative designers, materials manufacturers and package converters came together in Florida last week to attend the Package Design and Development Summit put on by Packaging Strategies (www.packagingstrategies.com) in St Petersburg.  One thing was undeniable… the crowd was diverse.  With representatives from leading design firms, marketing gurus from some of the biggest brands, and technology experts at numerous package converters, the lunch conversation was anything from dull.   It became clear that this winning combination of varying perspectives was the key to the future of packaging and cutting edge innovation. 

    This leads me to the first theme woven into most discussions and exemplified in the partnership between chemicals expert, DuPont, and design firm, Webb DeVlam as they explained the difference between invention and innovation.  The open space between designers and converters was exposed, revealing the need for material suppliers (like Alcoa) to get involved in innovation from the onset, facilitating faster timelines and mutual growth.  It was clear that open collaboration will be king in 2011. 

    The second theme over the two days was the loud cry that packaging is more important than ever as brands are hungry for innovation that creates some differentiation in the cluttered sea that is today’s retail environment.  Granted, 80% of the attendees have considerable skin in the packaging game, but we also heard from design professionals how important packaging is to the product and brand.  Marketers explained the criticality of packaging in the “First Moment Of Truth” when the consumer has the initial interaction with the product, and then even later on at the “Second Moment of Truth” when they are shopping their cabinets at home, a trend we are seeing gain traction as less than 1 in 5 consumers preplan dinners these days.

    The third theme we heard is admittedly simplistic, but not always top of mind when you go the drawing board to “innovate” unless you are more of a Marketing type.  Brands are looking for something beyond function in their packaging.  Functionality is a given, packaging has to do what it does best… protect and deliver the product to the consumer.  However, we are now looking to packaging to create some additional benefit from sustainability to convenience.  An excellent example of this is the Coors Light mountains on the aluminum can that turn blue when the beer has reached optimal temperature.  Steve Lannon, from MillerCoors explained that the thermochromatic ink goes beyond functionality to address another consumer need, the desire to know when their beer is cold.  Additional consumer trends we heard about that play into this “added benefit” space are package innovations that evoke a feeling of comfort, create a sense of belonging, allow for customization and personalization, or cause instant gratification. 

    Last, but certainly not least, as it spanned all three themes and set the tone for the summit as it does at most industry events these days….. Sustainability is an important added benefit brands are interested in leveraging.  And gosh darn it, it’s just the right thing to do!  According to Rose Grabowski of Dassault Systemes, awareness for green products in consumers is at 80% and 50% of consumers consider sustainability as a decision factor at purchase.  Brands certainly cannot ignore those numbers and they are looking to packaging to provide a “leg up” in this space.  Why?  Well, with more than 30% of the solid waste stream being made up of containers and packaging, we get a lot of visibility (and not the good kind).  Perhaps that is why packaging has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement and made admiral strides in following the old tried and true “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra.  This is where aluminum shines with pride (pun intended).  Larry Dull with Packaging Knowledge Group shared how to make packaging sustainable.  1.  Use less material. (Aluminum cans are 15% lighter than they were in 1993) 2.  Make it reusable (ever heard of SIGG bottles?) 3.  Use recycled content (Aluminum cans have on average 68% recycled content, higher than any other beverage container) 4.  Make it more readily recyclable (Alcoa and the aluminum industry continue to invest in recycling infrastructure and facilities to take back cans and make them new again in 60 days.)   Even though we have done an excellent job of making sure our packaging is sustainable before it was the “in” thing to do, we continue to conduct life cycle analysis and search for ways to improve our footprint.  However, there are a lot of people out there that still aren’t aware of the merits of aluminum packaging.  Attending events like the Package Design Development Summit gives Alcoa a chance to network with the right people in the supply chain, tell our story, listen to what the industry wants and continue to innovate a material that has been a mainstay of the packaging world for many many years