Ventiv Design has developed cannabis packaging with sustainably sourced materials that are difficult to imitate, such as the Slider Box, made with hemp paper, and the Pinch Pump, made with post-consumer recycled plastic.

Today, two major factors are driving the packaging industry towards greater sustainability: prospective legislation and consumer demand. Though there is little participation in the U.S. in plastic recycling (estimated under 10%), the green packaging market registered a value of $237.74 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to 313.93 billion by 2025, according to research from Mordor Intelligence.

Spirits maker Bacardi will bottle all brands in a biodegradable material from plant-based oils, entering the race to replace petroleum-based plastic drink bottles.

Poland Spring bottled water and the University of Maine are trying to develop new packaging materials from trees grown in the state.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles in Europe will soon be made of one type of plastic so they can be recycled into food-grade PET.

When processors are locked in to using plastic trays, a switch to paper-based replacements to meet green packaging goals can face hurdles.

Harpak-ULMA is introducing paper-based packaging called PaperSeal to help the industry rethink its packaging systems to reduce plastic use.

Domino’s and WestRock are encouraging people to toss their empty pizza boxes in the recycling even if they have some grease on them, challenging warnings that only clean boxes can be made into new products.