Researchers at Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) have developed a roadmap that will help Australian food and beverage businesses make the shift towards more eco-friendly, sustainable packaging.

According to UQ News, the 2025 Sustainable Packaging Trends Report produced by FaBA highlighted priority areas to reduce environmental impacts with designs that meet both consumer expectations and regulatory requirements.

Professor Janey McColl-Kennedy from The University of Queensland’s Business School co-authored the report and said the nation’s packaging industry was on the cusp of generational change.

“Adopting sustainable packaging is one of the most immediate and impactful ways Australia’s food and beverage sector can transition to a circular economy,” she said to UQ News.

“Stakeholders in the food packaging value chain often report difficulties in ensuring sustainable packaging, waste management and circular economy practices.

“This report outlines the latest sustainable packaging trends to inform discussions and decisions towards the sustainable development of the Australian food and beverage sector.”

Report co-author Dr Alexandria Gain said the report analysed the market, industry and government publications to identify 12 key trends with the potential to influence sustainable packaging development.

“These trends were divided into four priority areas,” Dr Gain said.

These areas included:

• Governing waste for sustainable packaging development: emphasising regulatory actions, global partnerships and economic value capture from Circularity.
• Designing packaging for circularity: focusing on recyclable, compostable and reusable packaging designs.
• Leveraging packaging design for sustainable food life cycles: highlighting the role of packaging in reducing food waste and emissions and supporting conscious consumption.
• Innovating technologies for sustainable packaging development: exploring advancements in next-gen recovery and bio-based packaging solutions.

Dr Gain said sustainability in packaging is not longer a choice, but instead was a necessity.

“Our research equips businesses with data-driven insights to adopt environmentally responsible packaging while maintaining product integrity and brand value,” she said.

“From Australian compliance and global sustainability regulations to cutting-edge packaging technologies, the report provides businesses with a balanced approach to making informed, impactful decisions for the future.”

The 2025 Sustainable Packaging Trends Report was supported by the Federal Government Department of Education through the Trailblazer Universities Program.