Packaging professionals see the growing divergence in local and global regulations and the need for data as the two challenges that will most affect packaging sustainability in the year 2050, according to a survey of 90 senior industry leaders carried out at the SPC Impact 2025 conference in Boston.
The poll was conducted by packaging sustainability consultancy Aura among experts from a range of global brands.
It found that two-thirds (65%) anticipate the divergence in regulations as a key challenge, while the same percentage anticipate the need for better data to monitor packaging’s impact on climate change and emissions.
The survey was carried out to support Aura’s Future Packaging Scenarios, an upcoming report into the key factors that are likely to impact packaging needs and demands in 25 years’ time.
It also highlighted that more than half of industry professionals (52%) admit they currently have no clear vision for what the year 2050 will look like.
The poll went on to identify what the industry sees as the main potential opportunities for the future of sustainable packaging. Around nine out of ten (89%) said innovation in materials was likely to be the biggest opportunity in 2050, followed by advances in AI and digital technologies, and dynamic recycling infrastructures (both chosen by 78%).
Gillian Garside-Wight, consulting director at Aura, said: “When we looked ahead to what the world of packaging might look like in 2050, we saw a number of challenges on the horizon – and the industry agrees.
“We’re already seeing a profusion of regulations and legislative changes that affect sustainable packaging, from Extended Producer Responsibility to WWPR in the European Union. Some affect multiple countries while others are only for a particular state or county. It’s only going to become more complex as time goes on.
“It also comes as no surprise that data was the other key challenge highlighted by packaging professionals. Compliance with these new rules means businesses need accurate, transparent, real-time data on every ink, label, material and substrate they use. Incomplete or inaccurate data is going to lead to higher fees and charges.
“Even with the opportunities created by exciting new materials and innovative packaging solutions in the coming years, brands and retailers will still need high-quality data. Those that are still reliant on manual data collection and analysis tools are going to have to change their approach long before we reach 2050.”