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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
INNOVATION
GETTY IMAGES
Creative Containers Companies are reimagining better bottles, boxes and bags By Tom Samiljan
F
ROM BIG-SCREEN TVS AND
beer to soap and supplements, almost everything we buy comes in a package. For years, eco-conscious consumers put cardboard boxes, glass bottles, plastic containers and paper coverings in the recycling bin. But with the global recycling infrastructure well over capacity,
even this taken-for-granted wastereduction method is no longer an easy sustainability practice. Coupled with increased sustainability regulation and consumer demand — nearly 60 percent of consumers are ready to make shopping decisions based on environmental impact, according to a 2020 study by IBM and the National Retail Federation — companies are adapting to the need for circular packaging practices. This means
packaging that’s not only easier and less costly to recycle, but is also reusable, compostable and biodegradable — all criteria that have led creative minds to devise innovative and intriguing solutions. Here are some examples:
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX Among the more ubiquitous packages CONTINUED
