In order to garner consumer attention, beverage-makers are capitalizing on the power of consumers’ five senses.

The majority of consumers believe that product companies and their brands play a crucial role in recycling, according to a new poll conducted by New York-based Research Data + Insights (RDI) on behalf of the Carton Council of North America (CCNA), Vernon Hills, Ill. The consulting firm surveyed 1,000 adults from across the United States, and 86 percent of them responded that they expect food and beverage brands to actively help increase the recycling of their packages.

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

Although it’s important to consider the end-consumer when choosing a labeling material, beverage-makers also need to look at the larger labeling picture and their teams’ abilities, advises Lou Iovoli, vice president of strategic partnerships for Hammer Packaging, Rochester, N.Y.

When the recession hit, consumers started purchasing fewer items on shopping trips, in effect adding importance to a product’s packaging to get shoppers to pick up the product and examine it, says Charles Pavia, director of marketing for Proactive Packaging & Display, Ontario, Calif.

Although the plastic bottle market in the United States serves a number of different industries and manufacturers, the beverage business continues to play a large role.

Versatility can be a key component in many forms of business. For beverage manufacturers, developing products that are not only refreshing but also functional is not an uncommon practice; however, versatility doesn’t end with the finished product; it also can extend to its packaging — even its secondary packaging.

In the days since the first can of beer was sold in 1935, aluminum cans have grown in popularity and evolved into a sustainable packaging choice for beverage-makers.

Whether it’s the growth of the wine, spirits and craft beer markets or the popularity of natural beverages, glass packaging manufacturers note that these trends are having a positive effect on this primary packaging material.

 When the fairy godmother in Walt Disney’s version of “Cinderella” dressed the maiden for the ball, she made sure that everything fit perfectly — including that ever-important glass slipper.