Covid-19 briefing

Revenue and employment

Packaging for shelf-stable food products continues to be in demand, while demand for luxury goods packaging is stale as discretionary spending is reduced.

Packaging for the foodservice channel is reduced as consumers exercise caution and some are avoiding food cooked outside of the home even if delivered.

MSO Cleland, an Irish packaging firm, has made a £5m investment in its business and has created 35 new jobs due to the continued demand for sustainable packaging options.

Supply chain and demand disruption

Footprint, a US-based sustainable technology firm, recently launched a plant-based compostable clamshell to-go container for the foodservice industry. The plastic-free innovation recognises the rise in takeaway meals amid pandemic lockdown measures and the requirement for sustainable plastic alternatives.

UK start-up Bullard Spirits is offering consumers pouch refills of its gin portfolio in the country. The pouches are produced by Terracycle, and can be flat-packed to fit through a standard letterbox, a direct-to-consumer model to appeal to consumers at home amid and beyond the pandemic.