Have you ever watched a YouTube unboxing video? What’s your thing? My whole family has their own interest and age-appropriate versions: dad tech or giantic boxes of hardware store returns, teen skincare, tween gamers. What’s my YouTube unboxing obsession, you ask? Running shoes or running gear (you know, for my really inexpensive sport that I have boxes and boxes of shoes for). Much like YouTube itself, there is an unboxing channel for every interest and hobby. YouTube unboxing content gets billions of views a year. 

The ritual of unboxing is almost solely about the packaging. Yes, they’re ultimately trying to get to what’s inside, but physically unboxing the product has become part of the purchasing process. It puts packaging on display with their products, in such a way that high-end brands have invested a lot in high-end packaging. Think Apple. It really cashed in on the idea of premium packaging as part of the product experience. It even began turning product announcements into entertainment as an unboxing episode of its own.

If you have kids that grew up in the last decade or so, they know Ryan ToysReview (now rebranded as Ryan’s World) because the kid is a multi-millionaire. His toy unboxing videos have generated billions of views and a career that started at age 3.

Unboxing videos also cashed in on another kid toy trend for surprise toys or mystery packaging. Kinder Surprise Eggs or L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls. Kinder Surprise far proceeded YouTube, but they became a household name from YouTube unboxing videos and helped commercialize the idea of packaging as entertainment. L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls take the surprise one step further with multiple layers of wrapping and sequential toy reveals, all primed for on-camera action.

Packaging used to have a relatively straightforward job: protect the product until it reached the customer, and a wide range of branding or marketing opportunities. Today, the packaging industry must balance a lot more. While consumers expect more and more and more, regulatory compliance and sustainability initiatives and changes in the supply chain are driving major changes in packaging too.

As I’ve explored in The Industrial Science Report, sustainability has become less about reducing waste after the fact and more about redesigning the materials and processes to make products with less waste in the first place. The same is happening in packaging.

Packaging intersects so many other industries, and layers of primary and secondary product packaging are all engineered to balance protection, manufacturing speed, material costs, regulatory compliance, and customer experience. 

This month’s stories look behind the unboxing videos and unpack innovations in the packaging industry, how researchers and manufacturers are trying to solve those competing demands across materials science, recycling systems, electronics packaging, and workforce and research development.

Henkel expands paper-based coatings to replace plastics packaging

Technology context: Plastics became the dominant packaging material because they were lightweight, durable, inexpensive, moisture resistant, and easy to mold, especially across food packaging, consumer goods, and e-commerce.

Paper is a decent choice because it is also lightweight and widely recyclable, but it lacks many of the functional properties that made plastics indispensable for packaging. Food packaging, e-commerce mailers, and consumer packaged goods often require resistance to grease, moisture, and water, while also forming strong heat seals that protect products throughout shipping and storage. Those performance requirements historically pushed manufacturers toward plastic films or multilayer composite materials.

Functional barrier and heat-seal coatings can transform paper into a higher-performance packaging material, allowing it to perform applications that previously relied on plastics, and still preserve shelf life and recyclability. Win-win-win.

Innovation news: Henkel Adhesive Technologies has expanded its paper coatings portfolio with new water-based barrier and heat seal coatings designed for paper-based packaging in food and non-food applications that require a seam. The barrier coatings for paper-based packaging have protective properties that open its use for applications that previously demanded plastic-based and composite materials. The development is driven by increased demand for recyclable packaging solutions and regulatory pressure from regulations such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The coatings enable heat sealing on paper at lower temperatures and high line speeds, supporting formats such as bags, sachets, shipping packaging, and packaging for dry food and hygiene products. The barrier coatings provide protection against grease, water, and moisture, while maintaining recyclability, repulpability, and compliance with food-contact regulations for the FDA and EU. A UV tracer version also aids in application monitoring and quality management. 

Stony Brook and SWFT labs scale cellulose nanomaterials as plastics alternative

Technology context: One of the reoccurring themes of The Industrial Science Report has been that where sustainability is succeeding the most is where new materials can match the performance of the ones they replace. I explored this in the construction industry, which is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Whether developing lower-carbon concrete, engineering wood products, hemp-based construction materials, or next-generation packaging, manufacturers want the better environmental profile without sacrificing performance. They don't want to spend a lot of extra money to get there either.

Plastics include a large family of engineered materials, manufactured to produce different properties for many different applications, from flexible packaging films to aerospace components. Replacing plastics will require the same material versatility and also a renewable feedstock. Cellulose represents a promising candidate. It is the world’s most abundant natural biopolymer, and researchers are engineering it at the nanoscale, where its surface chemistry and properties can be tailored for specific end uses.

The technology has already taken its first commercial step. Earlier this year, SWFT Labs launched agricultural products that use cellulose nanomaterials to improve nutrient delivery, water retention, crop protection, and fertilizer performance. With production established, the company is now expanding into packaging, industrial materials, water filtration, beauty and personal care, medical technologies, and aerospace.

Innovation news: Stony Brook University and biotechnology company SWFT Labs have expanded their partnership to industrialize cellulose nanomaterials as sustainable alternatives to plastics and petroleum-based materials. The research focuses on scaling the production of bio-based nanomaterials with performance characteristics suitable for commercial and industrial use. Known as the nitro-oxidation process (NOP), the technology enables scalable production of carboxylated cellulosic nanofibers (CNF), a nanomaterial derived from cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. It was developed by Stony Brook University staff and licensed exclusively to SWFT Labs. The collaboration emphasizes transitioning lab-scale innovations into manufacturable materials systems.

Oxford research advances practical plastics circularity and recycling systems

Technology context: The first fully synthetic plastic was invented in 1907, and many of the plastics we use today, such as polystyrene, (for grocery bags, bubble wrap, milk jugs, and detergent bottles) polyethylene (for egg cartons, foam coolers, and appliance packaging), and polyvinyl chloride (or PVC for pipes, siding, medical tubing, and credit cards), were developed in the 1930s and 40s when plastics saw massive growth. Plastics could be mass-produced, and they were lightweight and durable. They even share in a part of the spread of electrification, as plastic is a great insulator.

Ironically, plastics were first championed as environmentally friendly alternatives to natural materials, which were scarce or expensive, such as ivory, tortoiseshell, horn, wood, metal, cotton, silk, rubber, and glass. Celluloid, which is partly derived from organic materials, was invented in the late nineteenth century and widely used until the invention of synthetic polymers.

Should we have been surprised decades later that the same properties, which make plastic so durable and valuable, are the same properties that make it persistent as waste? Probably not, but here we are, and the irony isn’t done there. The packaging industry’s current search for plastic alternatives is driven by many of the same motivations that fueled plastics’ rise: lighter materials, cheaper to transport, resource efficient, durable, and easier to manufacture at scale. And we’ve returned full circle to natural resources, paper-based packaging, compostable polymers, and other bio-based materials that solve plastic’s end-of-life problem.

Innovation news: Researchers at the Oxford Martin School and the University of Oxford will direct the new Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub (SCHEMA), which is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The research builds on technical advances made by the Future of Plastics program, redesigning polymers so that they still fulfil their function, but degrade after use and translating plastics science into real-world solutions for waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. The work focuses on moving beyond laboratory studies to develop approaches that can be applied by industry and policymakers to address plastic pollution and improve materials circularity. 

Michigan State University expands packaging research infrastructure

Technology context: Every memorable unboxing experience starts with an engineering decision made by a manufacturer for the customer. The structure of the carton, the feel of the material, the product protection during shipping, and how efficiently that product moves through production in its primary package are engineering choices.

The packaging industry is dealing with a lot of competing issues. American’s online shopping and shipping habits alone have dramatically increased the need for packaging and made logistics and supply chain a major focus for packaging companies. Packaging is part of every discrete manufacturer’s product journey from factory to consumer.

Universities and industry partnerships serve as testing grounds where new materials, package designs, recycling systems, and supply-chain technologies can be evaluated before moving into commercial production.

Michigan State University’s School of Packaging is the first and largest packaging school in higher education, including a packaging Ph.D. and undergraduate programs in packaging science and packaging value chain management. It supports 15 full-time staff with expertise in sustainability, medical, packaging materials, packaging design, and distribution and value chain. 

Innovation news: Michigan State University’s School of Packaging received a $47 million gift from alumni Charles Frasier and his wife, Jacqueline, representing the largest gift in the school’s history. The funding is structured to support multiple initiatives, including expansion of the Packaging Building with new labs and collaborative learning spaces, the establishment of an endowed director’s fund, graduate fellowships, and flexible funding for emerging priorities. The investment is intended to strengthen packaging education and research capacity, with an emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and industry collaboration across packaging systems. The expansion is designed to nearly double facility capacity and enhance cross-disciplinary research and teaching environments involving university faculty, students, and external partners.

Auburn advances AI-driven semiconductor packaging reliability

Technology context: Engineers have always used math and, later, computers to estimate how long a piece of hardware would last. Assuming it started out in perfect condition and followed a predictable path of wear and tear, computer simulations can model and estimate life expectancy. But electronics, for example, are affected differently in real-life when something gets dropped, or experiences mechanical vibrations or overheating. Real life is much harder to track and model.

You can do a traditional finite element analysis (FEA), which MacFarlane Distinguished Professor and Alumni in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of Auburn University’s Electronics Packaging Research Institute (EPRI), Pradeep Lall says takes several days to develop and a few more to compute. By then, the physical state of the device has likely already changed, so all you get is a snapshot of the past.

So Lall has developed specialized AI-driven software for integrating defect identification, manufacturing process control, and operational reliability assessment into computer chips. Imagine if your devices could wear their own smart watches that provide real-time information about the health of the device. 

AI doesn’t need to run days of simulations and can provide insight in real-time, identifying specific failure points, such as tiny cracks or loose connections, or predict damage and useful remaining life on devices that were dropped or exposed to an impact. It’s taking asset monitoring to not only the device, but the chip level.

Lall is not new to AI applications. He has been a principal investigator on NASA’s Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring Program, where his AI solutions for feature vector identification, fault-mode classification, sensing of impending failure, and remaining useful life prediction are widely adopted for use in extreme environments.

Innovation news: Researchers at the Auburn University Electronics Packaging Research Institute (EPRI) are integrating artificial intelligence with semiconductor packaging reliability and manufacturing process control. AI models rapidly assess defect identification and operational reliability in real time, overcoming limitations of traditional finite element analysis (FEA) and computer simulations and modeling. This research impacts manufacturing efficiency and quality assurance in electronics production, with applications in automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics. EPRI also partners with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and contributes to the NextFlex Alabama Node, expanding AI adoption in industrial context and strengthening the U.S. electronics manufacturing base.

Industrial trends: Engineering the next generation of packaging

Much of this report is focused specifically on plastics, which have long dominated packaging and consumer products because they solved multiple engineering problems simultaneously. The challenge in replacing plastic with another material is reproducing those same performance characteristics that are reasons why we love plastic. To-go containers. Ziploc bags. Plastic bottles. Medical supplies. Bumpers.

This report’s stories highlight different technology solutions to all of the packaging industry's competing demands, and researchers are pursuing multiple pathways simultaneously. Henkel is engineering paper to perform more like plastic. Oxford researchers are redesigning plastics themselves to improve recyclability and biodegradability. SWFT Labs is developing entirely new classes of renewable materials based on cellulose nanotechnology. Oxford’s SCHEMA program is taking a different approach to plastics. Researchers want to improve recycling, reduce the carbon footprint of plastics production, and redesign biodegradable plastics, engineering sustainability into new materials.

Those innovations illustrate another recurring theme in The Industrial Science Report: sustainability is moving upstream. Rather than investing in treating waste as a downstream disposal problem, researchers and manufacturers are redesigning packaging materials. We've seen that same approach in lower-carbon concrete, hemp-based construction materials, PFAS alternatives, greener industrial chemistry, battery materials, and packaging.

None of those technologies reach industry without the infrastructure to commercialize them. Michigan State University's investment in packaging research supports the development, testing, and scaling of new materials and manufacturing methods.

And AI is another tool in the engineering toolbox. Whether evaluating semiconductor package reliability, accelerating materials discovery, improving manufacturing processes, or optimizing product design, AI is helping engineers solve manufacturing problems faster. In chip production and semiconductor packaging, AI can identify microscopic defects and predict failures before product leaves the factory.

When someone watches a 20-minute unboxing video, they’re seeing the final act of a process that may have taken years of research, and the packages we see today may look nothing like the packaging of tomorrow. As the industry evolves, we may replace plastics, or we may evolve plastics, but either way engineering new materials and packaging systems will have to balance performance and environmental responsibility. And of course, consumer expectations.

Packaging has many niche industries, but it’s embedded in nearly every discrete manufacturing sector. Products leaving a factory depend on packaging to protect it, move it through the supply chain, and shape the customer’s first impression. Next time you sit down to watch your favorite unboxing channel, or open a package inside a package that arrived on your doorstep, look a little closer. Notice what choices were made about aesthetics, materials, performance, and messaging, or just sit back and enjoy the experience.