BCG (Boston Consulting Group) identifies several key megatrends shaping the packaging industry, focusing on North America. These include geopolitics and trade, convenience and mobility, e-commerce, health and wellness, and sustainability. This is in line with the broader trends in the market, such as increased use of sustainable materials and digital innovations.
Detailed Breakdown of Packaging Megatrends:
Geopolitics and Trade
Shifting global trade relationships and changes in trade-related policies are set to have a material impact on North America’s packaging industry. While the eventual tariff outcomes remain in flux, it’s clear their impact on global trade would be lasting and significant and would reshape the cost calculus for packaging materials. Further, the global trade order will continue to see growing protectionism and regionalism for years to come. These measures are pushing companies to diversify supply, substitute substrates, and re-evaluate packaging choices.
Convenience and Mobility
North American consumers continue to prioritize convenience. The popularity of on-the-go lifestyles and the pressure to squeeze more leisure and work into the same amount of time are increasing the demand for portable and convenient packaging formats (including resealable, single-serve, and ready-to-use products) and resulting in downsizing (smaller average unit sizes, often leading to an overall increase in packaging demand).
E-commerce
With the continued growth of online shopping, packaging must serve dual roles: protection during transit and an extension of the brand experience. These roles are driving interest in simplified, sturdy, and increasingly sustainable formats that reduce over-packaging and improve unboxing experiences.
Health and Wellness
As consumers become more health-conscious, they are choosing better-for-you products, creating shifts in product choices (e.g., fresh produce over prepackaged foods). At the same time, packaging must safeguard product integrity, especially for food, supplements, and cosmetics. This requirement increases demand for better barrier properties and reduces demand for packaging materials seen as potentially contaminating (e.g., due to microplastics).
Sustainability
Sustainability remains high on the agenda for many global brands—given regulatory action and infrastructure investment in Europe and other parts of the world. In the US, state-level legislation, rising consumer awareness, and innovations in recyclable mono-materials and bio composites are building momentum. Across most substrates, we see a move towards lightweighting (reduced packaging weight) and increased use of post-consumer recycled content as input. The challenge for packaging players remains aligning functional performance and cost with environmental benefits at scale.