What will food consumption and food packaging look like in the future? Will food and packaging trends are driven by fragmented consumer demands or will the entire industry be highly regulated? Will consumers prefer specialized niche stores or have everything ordered and delivered? Or will the need for food packaging dramatically decrease due to the rise of package-free shops and reusable packaging? 

Our scenario survey paints pictures of the future of food packaging.

Several megatrends are impacting the ways we consume and package food. The packaging industry has an important role to play in shaping the future of food, and as part of the packaging value chain. The four future scenarios that resulted discuss consumer attitudes and behavior, packaging trends, recycling, and regulation, and provide plausible alternatives for what food consumption and food packaging could look like in the future.

Food is much more than simply what’s on the plate. For many, it is also a significant way of self-expression – not just fuel for the engine, but something that describes and defines who we are. How will we purchase, package, and consume food in the future?

The food industry focuses on reassuring the consumers that they are making the right choice and therefore food packaging also needs to first and foremost convey the feeling of climate friendliness, in terms of both the amount and type of material used. “In many ways, the future described in this scenario would continue the strong movement away from plastics we’re already witnessing in the market today and further increase the push toward full recyclability of packaging materials. 

The future of food packaging a decade down the line remains unwritten. It will be a story that the entire industry creates together. This scenario report is an invitation to participate in open, transparent collaboration across the fibre-based packaging value chain. We hope these “what if” stories give food for thought for discussion and encourage new, innovative ways of thinking.