2026
9
US Food Packaging Trends: 2026
2026-08-21T12:01:52+00:00
REPAA38A9C5_EC41_4A84_B8A9_C5EC41AA8412
3695
195584
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Report
en_GB
While packaging represents a substantial and growing cost for food brands, the opportunity for brands is to approach packaging not merely as a cost to by minimized but as an…
US
Packaging
Food
simple

US Food Packaging Trends: 2026

While packaging represents a substantial and growing cost for food brands, the opportunity for brands is to approach packaging not merely as a cost to by minimized but as an investment in branding.

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for food packaging
    • Opportunities
    • Add value by adding functionality
    • Add value by minimizing food waste
    • Design for space-constrained living
  2. THE MARKET

    • Consumers and the economic outlook
    • Consumer perception of finances has yet to recover from 2022 inflation spike
    • Graph 1: assessment of personal financial situation, 2022-26
    • Extended Producer Responsibility legislation has the potential to prioritize sustainability over other forms of packaging innovation
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Weighing price vs sustainability
    • Shoppers value sustainability, but many are not willing to pay for it
    • Graph 2: importance of price vs sustainability in food/drink purchases, by financial situation, 2026
    • Younger food shoppers and those with kids at home especially likely to see value in sustainability
    • Graph 3: importance of price vs sustainability in food/drink purchases, by age, 2026
    • The consumer take on recycling
    • While older consumers are committed to recycling, younger more likely to weigh sustainability at the shelf
    • Graph 4: sustainability-related packaging behaviors, by age, 2026
    • Simplification and clarity key to boosting recycling rates
    • Graph 5: attitudes toward food/beverage packaging – recycling, by age, 2026
    • Plastic remains appealing, but make it recyclable
    • Graph 6: interest in sustainability related packaging concepts, 2026
    • Packaging’s role in managing food budgets
    • Pack-size flexibility can help consumers manage grocery budgets on their own terms
    • Graph 7: potential budgeting behaviors in response to price increases, by financial situation, 2026
    • Packaging represents an opportunity for brands to help families manage budgets and tight schedules
    • Graph 8: interest in food packaging features, by age, 2026
    • Consumers look to manufacturers to make sustainable packaging choices and keep prices in check
    • Graph 9: attitudes toward food/beverage packaging, by age, 2026
    • Transparency key in price-driven pack-size shifts
    • Graph 10: attitudes toward food packaging, 2026
    • Adding value through packaging design and function
    • While sustainability and design can help to set brands apart, shoppers expect packaging to perform
    • Graph 11: food packaging attribute importance, by age, 2026
    • An opportunity for storage-friendly packaging
    • Graph 12: attitudes toward food/beverage packaging, by age, 2026
    • An opportunity to leverage the power of design
    • Graph 13: attitudes toward food packaging – design, by age, 2026
    • Limited pantry space creates an opportunity for countertop appeal
    • For online grocery shopping: simplicity rules
    • Graph 14: attitudes toward food packaging – online shopping, by age, 2026
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Graza olive oil packaging separates usage from storage to optimize both
    • Making functional packaging a part of the brand
    • Packaging features improve the user experience
    • Packaging innovation reshapes the brand experience for natural peanut butter
    • Old Bay returns to tin to reclaim traditional user experience
    • EPR may reinvigorate growth in environmentally friendly package claims
    • Graph 15: incidence of environmentally friendly package and product claims on food product launches, 2020-26
    • KIND tests recyclable paper wrapper for bars
    • Bubbies demonstrates viability of home-compostable paper pulp
  5. APPENDIX

    • Report scope
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Generation groups
    • Abbreviations
Download Report Summary

While packaging represents a substantial and growing cost for food brands, the opportunity for brands is to approach packaging not merely as a cost to by minimized but as an investment in branding. Packaging can deliver value and help shape the brand experience in ways that go far beyond the words and graphics on the pack. Food shoppers, for their part, are as focused as ever on price, but they also expect brands to perform. Brands can leverage packaging to meet shopper needs in a variety of ways, such saving time or simplifying meal prep, facilitating storage at home or making it easier to take food and snacks on the go. Shoppers also see packaging as a key element of a brand’s overall sustainability profile and look to packaging to help them save money by protecting the freshness of the foods they buy and minimizing food waste.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Prioritization of price vs sustainability
  • Sustainability-related packaging behaviors
  • Packaging-related budgeting behaviors
  • Consumer interest in sustainability-related packaging concepts
  • Food packaging attribute importance
  • Interest in food packaging features
  • Attitudes toward food and drink packaging concerning recycling, sustainability, function, design

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