Sustainability, ecommerce, flexible packaging, and plastic packaging advancements and waste challenges continue to capture the attention of packaging professionals, as the list of top articles on PackagingDigest.com from March 2018 clearly shows. With insights from Campbell Soup, PepsiCo, Unilever and others, it’s no wonder you found these particular pieces riveting.

From the bottom up, we present the top five articles, based on page views, from the previous month:

5. Packaging revelations from Frito-Lay, Campbell Soup and more

Good conferences get good speakers who talk about what they are doing and why. Great conferences line up great speakers who talk about what they will be doing and why.

Early this year, The Packaging Conference brought in packaging experts from PepsiCo (for the Frito-Lay brand) and Campbell Soup to talk about sustainability and ecommerce trends and how they are answering the challenges these trends present.

In this event highlights article, senior technical editor Rick Lingle also reported on two new plastic packaging developments with great potential for a variety of markets, including food and beverage, and personal care products: LiquiForm non-air molding technology and SureHandle 2-liter PET bottle that is buttressed by a handle.

NEXT: How sustainable are biodegradable and plant-based plastics?

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at the new Packaging Hub at EastPack 2018. This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

4. How sustainable are biodegradable and plant-based plastics?

Are bioplastics the best solution to the plastic packaging waste problem the world seems to be experiencing?

Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, explores the idea: “Where bioplastics theoretically are an answer to our dependence on fossil fuels to manufacture the plastics the world demands, biodegradable bioplastics are meant to be a solution for the world’s plastic waste problem. However, in most cases, biodegradable bioplastics will only break down in a high-temperature industrial composting facility, not your average household compost bin. Plus, these are not recyclable.”

So maybe bioplastics aren’t the answer? Well, not so fast. Szaky concludes with: “A better solution might be to place the focus on durable bioplastics that are made from plant materials, but can still be recycled. This way, the valuable energy and material inputs can be kept in the production cycle longer. It also makes far more sense to build a bio-based plastic that fits into our existing infrastructure, rather than building an entirely new biodegradable plastic composting infrastructure from scratch.”

What do you think?

NEXT: 10 impactful and efficient flexible packages win gold awards

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at the new Packaging Hub at EastPack 2018. This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

3. 10 impactful and efficient flexible packages win gold awards

Gold award winners in the annual Flexible Packaging Assn. Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards show just how clever packaging developers can be in leveraging the design and sustainability advantages of pouches and film. It’s worth your time to at least a scan these champions—which include packages from Blue Bunny, Unilever, Mentos and more—for ideas and inspiration:

1. Blue Bunny’s “box pouch” hops into shopping carts

2. Want a packaging material that runs at high speed? Get on the Autobahn

3. Compostable peanut bag wins in the arena

4. Stackable cube-efficient bag needs no other support

5. Collapsible pouch with sprayer floats with boat owners

6. Matte lacquer helps Knorr go high-end

7. Mentos mints get bowled over by this efficient pack

8. Small sachet is big on brand protection and shelf impact

9. Frozen fruit bag presents a “natural” look

10. UV surface-printed bags enjoy their day(s) in the sun

NEXT: How packaging recyclability can shift sustainability expectations for startup beauty brands

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at the new Packaging Hub at EastPack 2018. This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

2. How packaging recyclability can shift sustainability expectations for startup beauty brands

TerraCycle founder/CEO Tom Szaky is on a roll, with a second article written by him appearing on our list for the month. This time he reminds the health and beauty aids market to be sensitive to consumer sentiment as it relates to sustainability and recyclable packaging.

“Consumer demand for more responsibility is resonating across the beauty industry, and brands that can’t keep up will find themselves at risk,” he says. This is especially concerning for startups and small businesses trying to compete with major brands, right?

Well, the size of smaller businesses might just be the advantage they need. “By focusing on the recyclability and circularity of packaging, personal care startups can command a premium in the clean beauty market through cultivation of brand identity,” Szaky says. “While the activities of big consumer packaged goods corporations can be slower to change due to the need for sweeping infrastructure changes and an emphasis on the bottom-line, startups and small businesses have more flexibility to do the right thing, which isn’t lost on today’s highly discerning consumer.”

NEXT: 5 packaging design trends on the way out in 2018

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at the new Packaging Hub at EastPack 2018. This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!

1. 5 packaging design trends on the way out in 2018

Our most popular article of the year has appeared in every monthly “Top” list so far, with more than double the number of page views as the second most popular piece.

Part of the reason you like this so much is that it gives great advice on what to stop doing when it comes to packaging design:

• Stop with over-cluttered designs. It’s better to keep it simple.

• Nix small type. Instead, go big and bold.

• Don’t get too familiar with the same old packaging. Consumers today favor experimental designs.

• Weed out wasteful packaging. Sustainability sells.

• Skip the hyper-masculine packaging. Explore the softer side with more feminine styles.

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Production efficiencies, ecommerce challenges, sustainability trends, new bioplastic technologies and more are among the topics on the agenda at the new Packaging Hub at EastPack 2018. This free educational program will have more than 16 hours of can’t-miss presentations and demonstrations. Register to attend today!