We put together a list of our Top 10 Articles of 2020, through our analytics, by our online readers. We hope you enjoy a look back on subjects such as the move to aluminum, plant-based packaging, Top 100 Food & Beverage companies, the future of FMCG, a new shrink bag for meat and cheese, and more. 

Has sustainability taken a backseat as concerns about COVID-19 continue to dominate? News cycles have shifted. Coverage of and concerns about the negative impacts that plastic and other non-sustainable items have on the environment seems to have declined a bit. People have turned to single use items in droves—disinfecting wipes, paper masks, plastic grocery bags—things that don’t have more than one “touch point” to avoid possible virus transfer. 

New technology developed at VTT enables the use of pectin-containing agricultural waste, such as citrus peel and sugar beet pulp, as raw material for bio-based PEF-plastics for replacing fossil-based PET. 

Amcor has just launched Eco-Tite® R in Europe, the first designed to be recycled, PVDC-free shrink bag for fresh and processed meat, poultry and some cheeses.  Amcor Eco-Tite® R is designed to maximize shelf-life, maintain food safety, reduce food waste and can be recycled in existing polyethylene (PE) plastic recycling streams.

Vericool, the inventors of the world’s first recyclable/biodegradable cooler, has developed a worldwide sustainable thermal solution for shipping COVID-19 vaccines that is both recyclable and compostable.  

The Flexible Packaging Association’s (FPA) 2020 State of the Flexible Packaging Industry Report provides industry converters, suppliers, investors and analysts with insight into the performance (i.e. growth, revenue/volume expectations, profitability and capital spending) of the U.S. flexible packaging industry over the past year.

With the pandemic upending holiday trends, DS Smith released a new survey that shows retailers and supply chains need to be prepared for a rush of online shopping and high consumer demand for effective packaging.