Also known as eco-friendly or nuisance-free packaging, sustainable packaging refers to the use of materials and products that are pollution-free and conducive to recycling. The term “sustainable packaging” has two meanings: one is to facilitate the packaging of natural resources, and the other is to minimize the impact on the ecological environment. Sustainable packaging has both economic and social benefits, and with the progress of technology, the demand for sustainable packaging is increasing. This can be attributed to the gradual minimization of the total cost of the packaging life cycle.
Sustainable packaging has become the only choice for the sustainable development of the packaging industry. The main reasons for this are: 1) sustainable packaging complies with the needs of international environmental protection trends; 2) sustainability is a requirement of WTO and related trade agreements; 3) sustainable packaging is a way to bypass new trade barriers; 4) sustainable packaging is one of the dominant means of international marketing; and 5) sustainable packaging conforms to national industrial policy requirements.
The sustainable development of packaging cannot be separated from the support of sustainable packaging, while the continuous innovation of sustainable packaging is the source of sustainable development for packaging. The prospects for the future development of sustainable packaging are bright, and packaging innovation has become a critical factor in the development of the industry.