Cryovac recyclable shrink bags protect packaged meat products, featuring beef cuts alongside Cryovac and Sealed Air branding.
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CalRecycle lowers SB 54 plastic baseline as researchers flag reduction risks

CalRecycle has published the source reduction baseline number under SB 54, which determines the amount of single-use plastic packaging that producers will have to cut under EPR rules in California, US. The figure has previously divided industry, government, and researchers, who have each suggested different approaches to calculate the number.Packaging Insights speaks to researchers at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory from University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), US, to find out more about the updated figures and their implications for the state's plastic reduction targets.
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Fujifilm and Segede rethink materials and printing to boost resource efficiency
Concerns over raw material extraction, energy-intensive production, and weak regulatory compliance are fueling the packaging industry to develop more resource-efficient solutions. Increasingly, producers and value chain players are innovating in material reduction solutions, streamlined printing processes, and greater use of recycled and renewable materials to combat the Earth’s increasingly fragile supply of finite resources that are used in packaging, such as fossil fuels, metals, and mineral raw materials. 
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FSSC warns packaging reduction can drive food waste if protection fails
Material reduction innovations are growing across the F&B industry as regulations and sustainability targets attempt to reduce packaging waste. However, Antoinette Maake, technical officer at Foundation FSSC, warns that only when essential food-protection and usability functions remain “fully effective,” can material reduction contribute to environmental benefits.  Foundation FSSC (Food Safety System Certification) is an independent non-profit organization based in the Netherlands that manages the FSSC 22000 Scheme for food safety certification.
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Freezer-friendly formats
Innova Market Insights data indicates that packaging for frozen F&B launches is evolving across materials, formats, and sustainability claims. Europe leads frozen launches at 36%, followed by Asia at 27%. Plastic remains the leading material at 69%, while paper is gaining momentum with a 4% CAGR from October 2021 to September 2026.
ATS-Tanner banding machine applying a paper band to a product
Rethinking packaging: How banding can reduce materials, improve processes and prepare businesses for PPWR.
Discover how banding can reduce packaging material, simplify processes and support your PPWR strategy. This practical ATS-Tanner technical paper explores applications, material selection, automation and total costs. Use its practical questions and evaluation checklist to assess whether banding suits your products and helps you achieve your packaging and long-term business goals.This Technical Paper is brought to you by ATS-Tanner.
PackExpo 2026 Graphic Packaging International video thumbnail: Representative smiling at a trade show, alongside attendees networking at a packaging exhibition booth
Pack Expo 2026: Graphic Packaging presents paper solutions for EPR compliance

Adriana Dale, global marketing director at Graphic Packaging International, discusses the company’s paper-based offerings designed to address the EPR requirements increasingly popping up across US states. She explains how Graphic Packaging’s solutions support recyclability and why paper is growing in popularity.

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Rice University touts Nivera edible coating that tackles food waste
Rice scientists
Nivera has developed an edible coating for fresh produce packaging, said to expand shelf life and reduce food waste. Neethu Pottackal founded the start-up Nivera based on her doctoral research project conducted at Rice University in the US. The technology aims to slow ripening and spoilage processes using a thin, edible coating from naturally derived ingredients, such as proteins and fibers. Some are from agricultural by-products. According to Nivera’s testing, the coating can nearly triple the shelf life of certain fruits and vegetables. 
Cheerios and Ziploc tackle cereal freshness with resealable pack
Two boxes of cereal placed on a wood table
The General Mills-owned cereal brand Cheerios has joined forces with Ziploc Brand to unveil Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal. The solution features a resealable bag inside a traditional cereal box, making it easy to pour, reseal, and help keep cereal fresher longer. The solution features a partially opening top to create a convenient “pour spout” as a convenient way for consumers to fill a bowl, cup, mug, or consume them by hand. It then seals closed inside the box to keep the cereal fresh.
Koenig & Bauer’s AuraVero provides connected packaging for ChicP hummus
AuraVeo ChicP package
AuraVeo, a “product experience platform” by Koenig & Bauer, has partnered with the UK-based plant-based food brand ChickP to bring QR codes and product recognition to its hummus packaging. ChickP says that it is the first food brand in the UK to adopt AuraVeo’s platform, with the partnership setting out to transform the premium brand’s packaging into a post-purchase channel for communication with consumers. 
Metsä Board launches initiative to optimize packaging design
Packaging designed by Metsä Board
Metsä Board has launched Inboxing, an initiative created with Kathryn Kellogg, founder of Going Zero Waste, to explore the early choices in packaging design, from product protection and consumer experience to cost and environmental impact. Erja Hyrsky, senior VP, Commercial Operations at Metsä Board, says: “The best packaging solutions balance multiple objectives and are rarely a result of a single decision. The starting point should be what the packaging needs to achieve across its lifecycle and the evidence behind each decision.”  
October in review: Pack Expo & Material Week Tokyo reflect changing industry...
October in review
This month, Packaging Insights attended two major industry trade shows: Pack Expo 2026 in Chicago, US (Oct 18–21), and Highly-Functional Material Week Tokyo 2026 in Japan (Sep 30–Oct 2). While automation and convenient formats emerged as significant topics at Pack Expo 2026, and plastic innovation stood out as a key development at Material Week Tokyo 2026, both events highlighted how global packaging regulations are impacting the industry and driving material optimization. 
How Unilever is targeting the air fryer boom as cooking habits reshape food...
Variety of food on the table, cooked in the air fryer.

Food Ingredients First

Air fryers are reshaping at-home cooking habits and influencing food innovation, creating opportunities for manufacturers as consumers seek convenient, flavor-led meals. From adapting existing products to exploring new formats and flavor profiles, the appliance — widely regarded as one of the most significant shifts in home cooking technology in recent years — is becoming an increasingly important consideration for food brands.
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ATS-Tanner banding machine applying a paper band to a product
Technical paper
Rethinking packaging: How banding can reduce materials,...
Discover how banding can reduce packaging material, simplify processes and support your PPWR strategy. This practical ATS-Tanner technical paper explores applications, material selection, automation and total costs. Use its practical questions and evaluation checklist to assess whether banding suits your products and helps you achieve your packaging and long-term business goals.This Technical Paper is brought to you by ATS-Tanner.
woman sorting plastic packaging waste into kitchen bin
Packaging & Technology News
Europe’s plastic packaging waste rises as recycling...
New Eurostat findings have revealed that in 2024, 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste was generated per person in the EU, of which 15.3 kg was recycled. The EU’s statistical office also found that, in total, 81.5 million metric tons of packaging waste was generated in the EU in 2024. Packaging waste per capita increased by 3.2 kg compared with 2023, and by 19.6 kg compared with 2014. 
A hand taking a bottle from a fridge
Packaging & Technology News
Coca-Cola, Nestlé & Danone to revise plastic bottle...
Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Danone have committed to changing recycling claims advertised on their plastic bottles after a dialogue with the European Commission (EC) and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network. The changes aim to provide consumers with “fair and clear information” about the recycling characteristics of the bottles, in line with the requirements under EU consumer law. 

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Trends in AI use for packaging manufacturingOct2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that more manufacturers are launching products in new packaging formats. The growing number of formats, materials, and sustainability requirements is creating mor...

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Sustainable label trends Nov 2026

According to Innova Market Insights data, 70% of consumers globally believe sustainability challenges require immediate action, and 36% think it is very important to address these issues in F&B product packaging. Brands are responding with a wider range of packaging claims, including compostable, recyclable, plant-based, bio-based, and recycled content.

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Freezer-friendly formatsNov 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that packaging for frozen F&B launches is evolving across materials, formats, and sustainability claims. Europe leads frozen launches at 36%, followed by Asia at 27%. Plastic remains the leading material at 69%, while paper is gaining momentum with a 4% CAGR from October 2021 to September 2026.

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PackExpo 2026 Graphic Packaging International video thumbnail: Representative smiling at a trade show, alongside attendees networking at a packaging exhibition booth
Video04:25
Pack Expo 2026: Graphic Packaging presents paper solutions for EPR compliance

Adriana Dale, global marketing director at Graphic Packaging International, discusses the company’s paper-based offerings designed to address the EPR requirements increasingly popping up across US states. She explains how Graphic Packaging’s solutions support recyclability and why paper is...

SACMI exhibition stand showcasing industrial packaging machinery, with a man in a blue suit and red tie featured in a circular inset.
Video03:35
Pack Expo 2026: Sacmi Packaging & Chocolate USA CEO talks flowpack automation
Pack Expo 2026 Leibinger Group video thumbnail: Smiling man in glasses and a grey blazer pictured alongside the Leibinger 2D JET industrial inkjet printer with touchscreen display.
Video04:07
Pack Expo 2026: Leibinger CCO spotlights GS1 Sunrise coding solution
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Video09:42
Pack Expo 2026: Tetra Pak targets on-the-go protein demand with small-format packs
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