Packaging professionals now view shortages of packaging products and materials as the key challenge likely to be faced by the industry in the future, according to a survey of senior industry leaders at the SPC Advance 2025 event.

The poll was conducted by packaging sustainability consultancy Aura among experts from a range of US and global brands and retailers. It found that three-quarters (75%) see these shortages as the primary issue for the packaging industry in the future – a rise of 15% from a similar poll that ran six months ago at SPC Impact in Seattle.

Gillian Garside-Wight, director of consulting at Aura, said: “Resource scarcity is a growing concern for the packaging sector and industry professionals are right to be worried. Access to daily essentials and critical materials like water, food, fiber and fossil-fuel derived polymers are likely to be severely constrained in years to come.

“The world could see a shift towards brands and retailers using the materials that are the most readily available, rather than those that are the most suitable for a particular product.”

The poll also found that the concern over shortages was closely followed by the need for data to monitor climate change and emissions (69%), with geopolitical trade issues (67%) coming next.

Nearly two-thirds of industry professionals (63%) admit they currently have no clear vision for what the landscape to 2050 will look like. Again, this was a significant jump from the 52% of industry professionals from the previous poll.

When asked about the main potential opportunities for the future of sustainable packaging, more than nine out of ten (92%) said innovation in materials was likely to be the biggest opportunity in the years to 2050, followed by dynamic recycling infrastructures (78%) and advances in AI and digital technologies (72%).

Global resource scarcity is one of four potential futures highlighted by Aura’s Future Packaging Scenarios report, a study into the key factors that are likely to impact packaging needs and demands in the coming decades. The other three scenarios focus on an evolution of today’s challenges, a high-tech future, and a pushback against technology.

The Future Packaging Scenarios report explores how access to everyday items and critical materials like water, food, fiber, and fossil-fuel derived polymers could be severely constrained, forcing manufacturers to turn to locally sourced, low-cost materials and even to mine landfills for waste to repurpose.

In flood-prone regions of the globe, humidity-resistant designs will have to protect essential goods, while heat-insulated packaging will ensure medicines remain viable even in extreme temperatures.

Garside-Wight added: “Material shortages, the lack of climate change and emission data, and geopolitical trade issues will be compounded by regulations like EPR becoming ever more stringent. Brands and retailers are heading into a perfect storm with no clear vision of what the coming years to 2050 will hold.

“What’s evident is that future brand success comes from laying the groundwork now and we’ve seen that many businesses are investing their time and efforts now to secure a successful future. This means tracking real-time data on granular packaging specifications, accurately calculating carbon emissions and circular solutions, plus availability of raw materials including recyclate.”

The survey took place among attendees of SPC Advance in Boston in October 2025. Gillian Garside-Wight will also be attending SPC Impact in Nashville in April 2026.