Case study | Trivium Packaging on sustainability, packaging trends, attending Paris Packaging Week and more

December 20, 2022

Trivium Packaging is a leading metal packaging company that provides its customers with innovative and sustainable award-winning metal packaging solutions.

The Trivium Packaging team answers our questions about Trivium’s history, packaging trends, key challenges, sustainability and more.

Tell us a bit about the background of your company?

Trivium Packaging was formed in 2019 through the merger of industry leaders Exal Corporation and Ardagh’s Global Food & Speciality business. Our new name represents well over 100 years of packaging excellence. We offer customers around the world award winning innovative and sustainable metal packaging solutions that are supported by scalable production and outstanding customer service. Our extensive product portfolio offers a wide variety of metal packaging solutions to the markets we serve.

Trivium’s R&D facilities in France and the USA employ a team of scientist who consistently bring new innovations to our customers and the packaging industry. Sustainability is engrained in our DNA – innovation and sustainability are at the heart of what we do. Trivium Packaging holds a Platinum rating for sustainability from Ecovadis, A- ratings from the CDP, and has been named a Supplier Engagement Leader by the CDP.

How does attending and sponsoring Paris Packaging Week 2023 help develop your business?

We’re able to connect with people in the industry. This not only includes our new faces or companies, but also our current customers, suppliers, industry leaders and more. Our products are amazing and sustainable. They offer the solutions our customers seek and fulfils the desire of consumers for sustainable packaging that is both attractive and convenient. By welcoming attendees into our booth, we give them the opportunity to have a hands on experience with our products, ask questions and learn more about all that we offer. In return, our team meets wonderful people, learns more about the amazing products companies are producing for their consumers and carry that energy and excitement forward because at the end of the day we are helping our customers, their customers and our world.

What are you most excited about for the 2023 event in January?

We are excited to connect with people, build relationships, showcase our innovations, and bring solutions that make our customers lives easier. ADF presents an excellent opportunity to engage with our existing as well meeting new potential customers, to highlight the distinct benefits of using high quality metal packaging and to exchange latest information and ideas on leading topics such as CO2 reduction, recycling and sustainability.

What innovation trends do you think we can expect to see in the packaging industry in the next 12 months?

We expect to see a few different trends in the next 12 months:

Increasing PCR rates and supply in the market both of which are in high demand by customers and consumers.
1. Brand owners pushing to reduce CO2 packaging emissions
2. End Consumer focus on environmentally friendly packaging
Brands pushing the boundaries on the refill/reuse of bottles, especially through the use of concentrate pods and tablets
A shift from “recyclable” to “curbside recycled” / “actually recycled” in line with the anti-plastic regulations and increase in awareness of the reality that many substrates are recyclable but not recycled at scale.

The customer profile is ever – changing (e.g. people are more likely to buy products that are environmentally friendly). How do you think the customer profile will evolve through time? And how important is it to evaluate your current customer?

In the last decade there has been a big movement in the understanding consumers and corporations now have about climate change. The knowledge and acceptance of it are prevalent in society and thus it only makes sense that it will continue to evolve as people become more conscious of the decisions they make and seek a deeper understanding of the factors around them to help contribute to their choices. (1) We see this evolution focusing on the reality of recycling, what is truly recycled at scale, not just what is able to be recycled. On the consumer front this knowledge will shape actions and purchasing behaviour which will further drive businesses to closely evaluate their packaging choices – focusing on mono substrates are much easier to recycle and at scale and in the case of metal, have well-established infrastructures globally, and demand for the recycled product, which creates value for the recycler.

(2) Customers will be open to new business models, including refill/reuse. The trajectory of refill/reuse is already strong but will strengthen if packaging players and CPGs can deliver convenient solutions to the consumer.

(3) Merging lines between small/mid-size/large businesses. Similar to the beer industry, small (Craft) size businesses that are innovative, creative and can adapt and change quickly, offering consumers products that align with their values and lifestyle will continue to grow. We see large businesses looking to increase their portfolio and bring offerings to the consumer that are differentiated yet established and investing in those small businesses by bringing them under the umbrella as a brand and allowing them to operate with scale.

It is critical to evaluate your current and future customers to bring innovative solutions to market that are built to thrill the customer.

What do you see as the key challenges for your sector?

PCR material availability. There is more demand for PCR than there is currently available supply. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and has an abundance of long-life uses (construction, cars, etc). As well as using virgin aluminium for high quality aerosol packaging, Trivium is actively working on effective ways of expanding the sourcing channels for PCR material.
Recessionary factors – cost comparisons between metal packaging and other substrates like plastic are always a factor, however metal packaging is more premium and more recyclable. At a time when CPGs are trying to manage the cost on shelf, this cost difference could temporarily delay substrate conversions into metal, even in the face of rapidly increasing regulatory momentum away from plastic.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

We are excited for the year ahead as we continue to grow our business. Our success showcases a collective success of our customers and our people which is very exciting. There is much to look forward to!

To you, what’s the ‘ideal’ pack of the future?

A threaded aluminium bottle which is part of a refill-at-home model using concentrate pods or tablets. (Example: shampoo, soaps, cleaning solutions.) The bottle is beautifully visual, with stunning printing and a nice shape, designed to make a consumer happy to have it displayed on their counter and refilled multiple times. Packaging meet home décor.

What’s been the impact of sustainability on NPD and packaging design?

A significant shift in light weighting of metal. Metal packages of today are thinner and yet still durable. Their light weight and infinite recyclability make them a formidable contender over other substrates.
The increase in PCR levels across the industry. These are in high demand, any increase paves away for innovation and sustainability.
Designing for refill/reuse – there are companies that are truly being innovative in this area, being the first in their segments to design for this and continuing to push the envelope. They are leading the way for others to follow.

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