In the beverage market, brand owners are changing the rules when it comes to packaging.

Understanding consumer wants and needs can be crucial when it comes to product development and sustainability.

Forty-five percent of U.S. households now can recycle cartons through their curbside recycling programs and other recycling venues, the Carton Council of North America reports. This opportunity is due to a voluntary collaboration between private and public sectors that includes industry recycling facilities and local governments, the Vernon Hills, Ill.-based organization says.

According to the Carton Council, Vernon Hills, Ill., the number of households that have the ability to recycle cartons has increased 128 percent in three years.

In February, Bonfire Wines will introduce its first wines in sustainable, portable pouches and cartons aimed at millennial consumers.

 As pottery-makers and glass blowers have known for thousands of years, the shape of a container is a powerful art form, says George Caplea, executive vice president of global business development for Constar Inc., Trevose, Pa.