As a consumer, you may not realize the role a perfect packaging design plays in your purchasing decisions. The package must convey enough information about a product to pique your interest and inform you of its purpose—all without being overbearing. As a retailer, you want your packaging to promote your brand, protect the product, and show your customer why your product is perfect for them. Good packaging is an investment for your product and your brand.

Environmentally friendly packaging design can give businesses a competitive advantage on the market. Eco-friendly business practices demonstrate compassion and awareness, which can be a persuasive factor in helping customers choose between you and the competition. In addition, companies who invest in green packaging also stand to save money in the form of shipping costs, material costs, and reduced waste. Studies by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) show that companies that actively seek out ways to make their operations more eco-friendly see their ROI increase by as much as 18% over companies not making these efforts.

“Out of control” packaging is a broad brushstroke encompassing many different problems. Product manufacturers deal with an array of packaging issues that can stem from complications with machinery, marketing, shipping, and more. To avoid as many of these pitfalls as possible, brand managers need to have input from their marketing, manufacturing, and engineering teams.

Packaging is often the first impression customers have with a product. It is important to consider exactly what your packaging is saying about your product. Since the new year is traditionally a time for reinvention, here are some interesting packaging trends to consider for 2017.

This past October, Walmart held the Walmart Sustainability Summit and launched the new Walmart Sustainability Playbook. As a manufacturer of consumer goods, see how you can fall in line with the Walmart plan and how flexible packaging can provide you with increased sustainability in the year ahead and beyond, whether you are directly affected by Walmart or not.

With 2017 merely days away, it's a great time for reflection on the past year and all that has been achieved, and all that we have learned. Exactly 366 days ago, I released the top 7 blogs of 2015, based on popularity. For the end of 2016, I've decided to share the top blog posts that had the most impact all-around. In honor of brevity, I've honed the list down to the top 5 most share-able, most engaging blogs of the year, so please like, comment, and share: