12-15 Week Lead Times For Domestic Suppliers--Now What?

Sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha — tangy, bubbly fermented delights — are undergoing a renaissance as they are increasingly sought after by today’s health-conscious consumer.

These probiotic-packed foods and drinks have been consumed by specific cultures for centuries, and they are revered for their beneficial properties relating to digestion and overall gut health. With many studies revealing the link between the gut and our mental wellbeing, more consumers (especially influential millennials) are scooping up fermented goodies as part of their personal wellness regimens.

Forbes Magazine recently wrote a great article on what companies should do regarding the Coronavirus that originated in China.  While taking this health issue very seriously is a good first step, widespread panic is not!  More people will die from the flu than this illness and the fact that the media has jumped all over this to draw viewers and readers is rather pathetic.  

Since 1949, children across the globe have fawned over tiny, plastic, interlocking bricks.

LEGOs are a not only a classic toy but a staple in many households. Many kids beg their parents to take them to the majestic LEGOLAND, an amusement park where all their wishes and dreams could come true.

Originally marketed as an eco-friendly packaging material, new evidence regarding the potentially negative impact of oxo-degradable plastics has led a number of companies and governments to restrict their use.

More than 150 companies and global organizations, including Nestlé, Unilever and PepsiCo, have recently endorsed a total ban on the material in light of its potentially negative environmental impact.

Oxo-degradable plastic packaging, which includes select plastic pouch bags, is often marketed as a solution to plastic pollution because it claims to degrade into harmless residues within a period ranging from a few months to several years. However, oxo-degradable plastics do not degrade into harmless residues, but instead, fragment into tiny shards of plastic that actually contribute to plastic pollution.

Often, consumers think that because a material is biodegradable, it can be composted or even littered on the ground, because, it is thought, the material will break down into nothing over time. This actually ends up leading to an increase in pollution, since consumers don’t end up recycling or repurposing the material, and misconceptions about how the plastic will degrade leads them to end up putting it back into landfills.

What is important to note in this case is that although oxo-degradable plastics are biodegradable, being biodegradable does not necessarily mean that a material is eco-friendly. Although these plastics do break down over time, the tiny pieces they break down into are still plastics that contribute to pollution — they do not degrade into nothing or into another usable substance.

For companies looking to make the switch to sustainable packaging, it is important to consider that sustainable packaging does not necessarily mean biodegradable packaging, and vice versa.

Today’s consumers are demanding transparency and accountability from all types of products, and pet food is no exception.

Greater scrutiny over pet food ingredients, and an increasing demand for responsibility, sustainability and complete transparency from pet food manufacturers is driving change within the industry. As the consumer demand for “clean” pet food labeling evolves as a major topic within the world of pet packaging, FDA guidelines are shifting.

With sales that began Jan. 1, the cannabis industry in California is in the process of transitioning to a state-regulated cannabis market, which brings with it a number of new rules and regulations for cannabis retailers.

Under the state’s new rules, all cannabis purchases must be packaged in child-resistant exit bags and opaque containers. The burden of this change in standards is falling largely on retailers, many of whom are struggling to stay compliant in the wake of the state’s rapidly changing regulations. The new rules require all retail cannabis that leaves a store to be contained in these opaque exit bags, a requirement also enacted in states like Oregon and Colorado.

As 2018 begins, many in the packaging industry are wondering what retail packaging trends are set to be popular this year, and equally, what trends we’ll be saying goodbye to in 2018.

Many people are familiar with Capri Sun, a juice drink packaged in a foil pouch that includes a straw for drinking the product straight out of the package.