E1 - The Smart Packaging: Packaging of the future
The packaging is an essential component for better product experience. With more and more introduction of smart packaging systems in the supply chain, this experience is certainly influencing us on how we make decisions about products. The potential, integration of technologies like Augmented reality and futuristic NFC devices with traditional packaging systems, have in sector certainly gives a vibe of the future we see in Sci-Fi!
This series on smart packaging aims to discuss about some state of art technologies and innovations which would literally change the packaging industry and ultimately our perceptions of a ‘product’. This is Episode-1 (Pilot episode :p) of this series with an introduction to smart packaging and concepts around it. Happy Reading :)
“I am kind of stupid when it comes to gadgets”. I said.
“Then buy a gadget that is smart, it will compensate for your stupidity :P” My friend replied.
Just kidding. But that clearly represents our race for ‘smartness’. If something is hard to understand, you don’t need to learn, just find the content that is ‘Smart’. If a device is hard to use, just get a ‘smart’ device for you.
The most important keywords you would hear in a “product team” of a tech company are user experience, user ease. And those falling behind the race to become smart ( or in other words ‘smart for users’) would certainly be out of the competition. The fall of Blackberry is a perfect example of the same. Blackberry considered ‘smart people’ as their market for their ‘average but complicated devices’ while apple considered the ‘average people’ as their market for their ‘smart devices’. And the result we all know!
‘Smart’ is certainly a keyword of the 21st century. Now we are not only making our phones and gadgets smart, but we are also making our cities smart, our classrooms smart, even idiot boxes are becoming smart (Smart TVs). From smart homes to smart clothing, we are literally moving towards a society we usually see in futuristic science fiction movies.
But among all this smartness there is this little kid we often forget to notice. Smartness in the packaging sector. The packaging industry is like the “Bruce Wayne” of industries, the hidden hero serving to all sectors 😛. This series discusses about the “Smart Packaging” briefly, and then we will see some state of art technologies that will shape the future of smartness is the packaging sector.
What is ‘smart’ in smart packaging
Though the definition of smart packaging can’t be fixed, it is ever-changing with more and more innovation we get in the field. Smart packaging can be many things.
In simple words, it’s packaging that is functional, informative, easy to use, sustainable and able to enhance the product experience.
FMCG sector is always driven by consumer demands of fresher and safer product which reaches to them without the reduction in any nutritious value (If it has one), conveniently. The researchers across the world are identifying the continuous challenges that occur to achieve this goal and in recent times Smart Packaging has picked up a great pace. It is a hot topic in the industry, just like big data or machine learning is for consulting firms :p.
Smart packaging basically encompasses two separate but interlinked fields: Active Packaging and Intelligent Packaging. As per the definition of the European Commission:
- “Active packaging” connotes a package that “responds” to a suboptimal physiological or environmental condition in the package and sometimes improves it.
- “Intelligent packaging”, on the other hand, involves a package “sensing conditions” in a package and communicating this information to a human or an appliance. Intelligent packages are dependent on us or an appliance to respond.
So Intelligent packaging is the component responsible for sensing the environment inside packaging or in the vicinity of packaging, while active packaging gives enhanced protection to the packed food or material packing has.
Active packaging though is not a new concept unlike intelligent packaging, Most common example of active packaging is the use of inert nitrogen in cheese packaging, it is absorbed into the cheese, allowing a tight shrink film package. The nitrogen removes oxygen and interacts with the cheese to make the package functional. Another most common example is the use of hygroscopic material for electronic material packaging. You might have seen these small packets (Figure 2) in the packaging box of your laptop.
As discussed earlier, active packaging is packaging that interacts with the contents and thus improves the shelf life or quality of the contents during storage. Either certain substances are released into the medium or certain substances are removed from the medium or its immediate surroundings. Active packaging is used for multiple aims including (but not limited to) moisture, corrosion, or temperature control, for antimicrobial resistance. Though in recent years breakthroughs in NBIT (Nano, bio, and infotech) have brought some great innovations in the sector. Some of them are very interesting, Though we will leave that for another article. Let’s discuss about rather young cousin of active packaging: Intelligent packaging.
Intelligent Packaging is a new member of the family and the one which is bringing the most of “Smartness” in the sector. Much of the tech is used to make packaging more and more intelligent and thus smarter. As discussed earlier the “intelligence” of packaging results from “communication” with the outside world. Intelligent packaging included diagnostic and indicator functions using indicators or sensors to monitor the condition of the product and provide information on e.g. tightness, storage time, temperature, or freshness. These sensors can be integrated into the packaging, placed on the outside, or inside the packaging.
One innovative example is intelligent drug packaging with built-in RFID chips (Figure 3), LEDs and tiny loudspeakers that register the removal of pills and sound an alarm if they are taken incorrectly or even inform the doctor treating the patient.
Intelligent packaging does not refer to a single technology, but to a variety of technologies that together are able to perform specific functions and thus inform the consumer about the food product. Some more examples of intelligent packaging include (Either in development or in use):
Temperature & other indicators to signal user about quality of product.
A biosensor, in theory, which can inform user of the growth of microorganisms or even a specific microorganism in the package.
A bar code to help communicate information for more precise reheating or cooking of the contained food in an appliance.
An ethylene sensor is in use to gauge the ripeness of fresh fruit.
Patented intelligent inks and pigments that can change colour in response to things like temperature and CO2 levels.
Colour changing labels signalling about freshness of food.
Biosensors for pathogen or toxic identification: attaching antibodies to plastic surface which can give a sign of a false sense of security to the customers.
A very interesting use of Intelligent packaging is user engagement through Augmented Reality. I am excited to discuss about more such state of art technologies in next episodes, that would give us a feel of living in a star trek universe 😛.
Sometimes a third classification is also done for Smart Packaging, named, Connected Packaging. As the name suggests it refers to the technologies offering customers more avenues to stay connected to brand, to supply more information to customers, and to keep them engaged to brand. But it is simply a way of enhanced communication. Throughout the series, we will consider the connected packaging as a part of Intelligent Packaging.
On the basis of functionalities of intelligent packaging there can be various levels we can have for same, Water.io has defined these 6 levels of smart packaging that can be achieved:
I hope that will give you a brief idea about, what the future holds for packaging and how we might be on our way to be the futuristic society of Sci-fi (Be it capitalist star wars or socialist star treks 😛). Though it’s just the start, much more exciting stuff is on the way in the next episodes. I don’t know if the future would be bright or not but for certain, the future would be smart. Stay Tuned and Happy Reading :)
Episode 2 (How the 5 innovations can make intelligent packaging way more intelligent) Coming Soon. :)
