The packaging of the future: innovating doesn’t always mean starting from zero

What will packaging look like in ten or twenty years? Maybe we will imagine completely new materials, intelligent technology, or formats that we do not yet know. However, part of this transformation is already happening at labs and production processes, with decisions as concrete as reducing the thickness of a film or incorporating recycled material.

This was one of the reflections from The Packaging of the Future, at Colombiaplast 2026, alongside Luisa Ribero, Grupo Plastilene’s Corporate Sustainability Director; Yohana García, Grupo Plastilene’s Corporate Director of Innovation; and Ana Bascon, representing AIMPLAS, the Plastic Technology Institute in Spain.

The future does not depend on one material

Plastics, paper, and glass will probably continue to be in our lives just with new properties and applications. New alternatives will also arise that might still be in R&D phases today.

As Yohana García put it, innovating means exploring solutions that are not working yet or are not available, with the expectation that we can turn them into viable options.

However a packaging is not solely defined by its technology. The product must also be protected, we must guarantee its safety, offer useful functionalities and have an adequate cost for the market.

The challenge is not to develop the most advanced packaging, but one that has a responsible answer to industry needs.

Sustainability: measuring before assuring

A packaging can seem like it’s more sustainable than another one, but its environmental impact is dependent on many factors: raw materials, manufacturing, transportation and end of life management.

That’s why a life cycle assessment allows us to evaluate different indicators such as the carbon footprint and water consumption. During the event, Yohana shared an experience in which Grupo Plastilene and one of its clients saw different results when evaluating the same innovation. When reviewing the analysis they discovered that they had not considered the same processes. They concluded that to compare results, we must first assure that we are measuring the same thing.

Small changes, significative results

Innovation also depends on optimizing existing materials. Two of our experiences prove it:

1. UHT milk packaging

The improvements in extrusion technology, high barrier materials, and packaging equipment have allowed us to reduce the thickness in these materials.

According to the analysis presented, some reductions in thickness can decrease the carbon footprint by as much as 18%.

Between 2025 and 2026, the Group reported the production of more than 600 tonnes of film with thickness reduction in Colombia, associated with an estimated reduction of more than 250 equivalent tonnes of CO₂.

2. Shrinkwrap films with PCR

The use of postconsumer recycled resins (PCR) in films used to package beverages together has also shown relevant results.

Incorporating 20% of PCR can reduce the carbon footprint by 13%, meanwhile achieving 40% PCR content can increase that to 25% according to the studies presented.

Between 2025 and 2026 the Group reported more than 6,900 tonnes of these films produced, associated with an estimated reduction of more than 2.900 equivalent tonnes of CO₂.

Designing thinking of what is to come

Ecodesign will be fundamental for the evolution of packaging. It consists of considering the reduction of materials, reuse, and potential recyclability starting with R&D.

However, designing a packaging to be recyclable does not guarantee that it is in fact recycled. It also requires correct collection, sortation, and end markets systems.

In LatAm, this depends on developing alternatives according to the available infrastructure and each market’s needs.

Another important challenge is to use recycled materials in food contact packaging, without sacrificing food safety. In this area, Grupo Plastilene has worked alongside AIMPLAS for more than 15 years doing research and tests to evaluate the safety and functionality of the materials. Amongst the explored possibilities we have differentiated packaging collections to study their end markets in new applications.

A future that is already being built

The packaging of the next few years will most likely combine known materials with new technologies, intelligent functionality, increased traceability, and environmental decisions backed by data.

Its evolution will require investigation, technological advances and collaboration amongst different actors within the supply chain.

The future of packaging will not come from one day to the next: it is built on decisions, tests, and the improvements we make today.