Flexible Packaging
Why joined-up supply chains matter for food brands and packers
By Dr Samuel Pardo, senior innovation manager at kp Food Packaging
open as intended for the consumer. Increasingly, legislation demands compatibility with recycling infrastructure, meaning they should be made of a single type of plastic and remain attached as they travel through the recycling stream.
he new wave of packaging regulations is having a signifi cant impact on food packaging design. Requirements around recyclability, material effi ciency and packaging performance are making it harder to optimise packaging one component at a time. Regulations such as the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) are encouraging a more system-level approach, where every element of the pack must work together. When every element of a packaging project is under the microscope, small ineffi ciencies can add up to make a big diff erence at scale. It’s tempting to examine pack components individually to identify savings. While valuable in some cases, it doesn’t refl ect how packaging works in the real world. When a pack is in the consumer’s hands, they don’t use it as a series of components; they use it as a single object. If one element fails, the whole pack goes with it. Procurement has to work the same way, taking a holistic approach that considers a packaging solution as more than the sum of its parts.
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SMALL DECISIONS, BIG CONSEQUENCES A tray and its lidding fi lm do diff erent jobs, but their performance is interdependent. The materials must seal reliably within the operating conditions of their packing line. They must maintain the required barrier, withstand handling and distribution, and
Both components can meet every performance requirement when tested separately but create diffi culties when combined in a real-world scenario. For example, reducing the weight of a tray may help achieve material reduction targets, but it can also aff ect rigidity, sealing performance, line effi ciency, or pack integrity throughout distribution. What appears to be a straightforward improvement in one area can create challenges elsewhere if the wider packaging system is not considered. In short, packaging design is like an ecosystem. Adjusting one component can have a ripple eff ect across a project, aff ecting everything from pack performance to speed-to-market. Technical teams can fi nd themselves coordinating several suppliers, each focused on its own part of the specifi cation, while responsibilities become blurred. When sweeping regulations like PPWR demand suppliers operate with more clarity, it’s easier than ever for packaging projects to become messy.
INTEGRATION THROUGH COLLABORATION Working with an expert supplier across several steps of the packaging journey can improve effi ciency. More importantly, technical development can begin with a shared understanding of how the complete pack needs to perform. This enables the tray, fi lm and packing process to be evaluated together, helping identify compatibility issues earlier and reducing repeated trials. As requirements continue to evolve, this joined-up approach can help food brands and packers bring compliant
packaging solutions to market more effi ciently. Integrating links of the packaging supply chain in this way sounds like it would provide less fl exibility, but in reality, the opposite is true. When supplier and client work together in a collaborative partnership, all parties can work towards the same set of performance and commercial objectives from the outset, rather than changing course to accommodate suboptimal solutions sourced from elsewhere.
SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE REAL WORLD Perhaps the strongest case for joined-up packaging supply chains is balancing sustainability ambitions with real-world performance requirements. Sustainability is a priority for regulators, retailers and consumers, but balancing material reduction with the functionality requirements of the modern supply chain is easier said than done. A lightweight tray made of recyclable material sounds desirable, but if it performs poorly throughout distribution, it can lead to an increase in food waste. As food waste has a greater environmental impact than packaging waste, every one kilogram of food sent to landfi ll has the same carbon footprint as landfi lling 25,000 500ml plastic bottles this can have a net negative impact on sustainability goals in the real world. Packaging plays a critical role in preserving food, extending shelf life, and preventing waste. Food waste in the EU exceeds 58 million tonnes annually, and reducing food waste is a central sustainability objective due to its impact on resource use and greenhouse gas emissions which are estimated to contribute approximately eight to ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the most sustainable packaging solution is often the one that achieves the optimum balance between resource effi ciency, product protection and recyclability.
No single sourcing model will suit every business. However, suppliers with expertise across multiple packaging areas can help food brands and packers evaluate more of the pack within a single development conversation.
Food packaging may be purchased in separate parts, but consumers, recyclers and regulators ultimately experience it as a whole. The way it is developed and supplied should refl ect that reality.
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September 2026
www.convertermag.com
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