Coveris banner promoting Packaging Innovations 2026, featuring recyclable packaging products and event details for 11–12 February at NEC Birmingham, Stand J114.
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ProAmpac spotlights latest AI and monomaterial solutions to propel recyclability

Paper-based monomaterial packaging and AI-assisted waste processing have been established as central to ensuring recyclability and regulatory compliance, according to an expert at ProAmpac. Packaging Insights speaks to the global packaging manufacturer to discuss the latest developments and factors driving recyclability. ProAmpac expects sustainability efforts to continue accelerating across several key areas. “These include the ongoing shift from rigid to flexible packaging formats, increased fiberization of packaging, and the growth of monomaterial packaging films to improve recyclability,” says a company spokesperson.
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AI robotics and vision systems boost flexibility and efficiency in food packaging
AI-powered robotics is reshaping food packaging processes and setting the stage for smarter, more adaptable automation solutions. The innovations in the sector are increasing flexibility, reducing labor costs, and boosting production efficiency. Packaging Insights speaks to Oxipital AI and Chef Robotics to explore how smart solutions are overcoming challenges once considered too complex for the packaging industry to automate.
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Australia’s plastic recycling sector at “tipping point,” industry calls for reforms
A recent letter from the Australian recycling and packaging industry insists the current government “urgently” introduces packaging reforms or “risks the collapse” of Australia’s plastic recycling sector. The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) have called on the government to protect the country’s recycling industry following a commissioned report by Rennie Advisory. 
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Packaging Insights’ sweet spot: Confectionery picks
Confectionery launches showed a 2% year-over-year growth between October 2023 and September 2025, according to Innova Market Insights data. Nearly half of the launches occurred in flat pouches, and more than half were packaged in plastic. Meanwhile, launches featuring carbon labeling claims gained ground.
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Packaging Innovations 2026: Coveris’ Paper R&D director talks recyclability trends

Will Mercer, Coveris’ Paper R&D director, discussed the company’s offerings at Packaging Innovations 2026. He emphasized the PolyFlex recyclable mixed polyolefin block cheese packaging and FibreFresh HeatSeal punnets for fresh produce responding to the paperization and recyclability trends. 

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Packaging Innovations 2026 review: Data, design & regulations drive circularity
Packaging Innovations 2026 in Birmingham, UK, welcomed 450 exhibitors showcasing circular packaging design. As the industry adapts to the UK’s packaging EPR and DRS launch, suppliers presented solutions catering to these regulatory shifts. Highlights included recycle-ready monomaterial solutions, compostable packaging and labels, and AI-assisted recyclability data analytics.

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Scientists transform fish skin into biofilm for food packaging
A hand holding a fish.
Scientists in Brazil have demonstrated that skin from a hybrid Amazonian fish can be transformed into biopolymer film for food packaging, offering a new application for aquaculture by-products. Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and Eembrapa Pecuária Sudeste, part of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in São Carlos, Brazil, have used Tambatinga skin, a collagen source, as a raw material for gelatin-based films.
Avery Dennison expands NFC product line for smart packaging
nfc chip packaging
Avery Dennison has expanded its range of near-field communication (NFC) products with a flexible integrated circuit product line featuring Pragmatics Semiconductor’s chip. The NFC Connect portfolio is said to be the first-to-market integration of semiconductors on a mass scale. It aims to enhance digital brand experiences and enable authentication and compliance initiatives, such as digital product passports. 
Mondi and Prymat unveil paper-based spice packaging
A table with food ingredients.
Mondi has collaborated with Prymat, a Polish dried seasoning manufacturer, to develop paper-based packaging that protects its aromatic spices. The packaging is created with Mondi’s re/cycle FunctionalBarrier Paper Ultimate. This ultra-high barrier solution was chosen after trials and tests and aims to serve as an alternative to conventionally non-recyclable multilayer structures.
Sealpac advances seafood packaging with vacuum and automation tech
Sealpac Seafood Packaging
Sealpac has developed the FlatSkin concept, its Amax and M-Flex traysealers, and F-series thermoformer range for seafood packaging, targeting the global rise in the consumption of fish and other seafood. The FlatSkin concept seals the seafood under a deep vacuum directly onto a flat cardboard carrier, which has an ultra-thin plastic liner. The highly transparent skin film fixates the product on the cardboard base, facilitating vertical presentation at retail. At end-of-life, the plastic layer can be removed for separate disposal.
Amcor survey reveals EU shoppers support recycled plastic in packaging
A hand holding a packaging
Amcor has unveiled a consumer insight report exploring how EU shoppers perceive the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in packaging for supermarket products. The report, titled “Recycled Content, Real Impact”, collected responses from 3,201 consumers and 32 qualitative interviews across six European countries. 
Nestlé posts steady organic growth as infant formula recall casts shadow over...
Nestlé.

Food Ingredients First

Nestlé has reported full-year 2025 sales of CHF 89.5 billion (US$101.5 billion) with 3.5% organic growth, driven by a second-half acceleration in real internal growth (RIG) from 0.2% to 1.4%. However, net profit dropped 17% to CHF 9.0 billion (US$10.2 billion) and the company’s 2026 outlook is clouded by the financial and reputational fallout from the recent global infant formula recall that triggered criminal complaints in France and product withdrawals across more than 60 countries.“I am encouraged by our performance during 2025, which reflects the targeted actions we have taken in a difficult external environment,” says Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil. The underlying trading operating profit (UTOP) margin came in at 16.1%, down 110 basis points year on year, while free cash flow reached CHF 9.2 billion (US$10.4 billion). Navratil says improving organic growth, RIG, and market share trends in the second half “show that our actions are working.” 
Highlighted features
Packaging Innovations 2026
Regulatory News
Packaging Innovations 2026 review: Foodservice industry...
The UK’s packaging EPR (pEPR) was a major topic of discussion among foodservice packaging providers exhibiting at this year’s Packaging Innovations in Birmingham, UK. We spoke to Ecosurety, the country’s pEPR compliance scheme, the UK Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA), and packaging providers Coveris and Xampla, to explore how the industry is responding and what factors are causing confusion. 
Holding plastic cutlery in hand.
Regulatory News
Canadian court upholds “toxic” classification for plastic...
The Canadian Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) has decided to uphold the government’s order to list plastic-manufactured items (PMI) as “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The ruling means the Canadian government can continue to regulate single-use plastics, like bags, straws, and cutlery under CEPA. The decision has been met with doubt from the plastics industry and acclaim from environmental campaigners. Packaging Insights speaks with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and Oceana Canada about the ruling, delving deeper into the legal case and its implications for the packaging industry and environment. 
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Packaging & Technology News
Packaging Innovations 2026 live: Huhtamaki & Xampla unveil...
At Packaging Innovations 2026 in Birmingham, UK, Huhtamaki and Xampla are presenting their new folded cartonboard range featuring the plastic-free and plant-based Morro Coating. Live from the show floor, Packaging Insights speaks to Andy Hesp, vice president of Huhtamaki UK & Ireland, and Alexandra French, CEO at Xampla, about how the solution addresses current packaging trends observed at the show, such as paperization, plastic-free materials, and food security. 

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Fresh produce packs reinventedFeb2026

Innova Market Insights data reveals that consumers increasingly prioritize packaging that preserves freshness when cooking at home. This preference drives brands to innovate in fresh fruit and vegetab...

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Valentine’s Day food packaging Feb 2026

According to Innova Market Insights data, food product packaging launches for Valentine’s Day recorded a 14% CAGR between October 2020 and September 2025. Confectionery accounted for more than two-thirds of these launches. Nearly half were packed in folded boxes, and 71% in plastic.

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Packaging Insights’ sweet spot: Confectionery picksFeb 2026

Confectionery launches showed a 2% year-over-year growth between October 2023 and September 2025, according to Innova Market Insights data. Nearly half of the launches occurred in flat pouches, and more than half were packaged in plastic. Meanwhile, launches featuring carbon labeling claims gained ground.

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Packaging Innovations 2026: Coveris’ Paper R&D director talks recyclability trends

Will Mercer, Coveris’ Paper R&D director, discussed the company’s offerings at Packaging Innovations 2026. He emphasized the PolyFlex recyclable mixed polyolefin block cheese packaging and FibreFresh HeatSeal punnets for fresh produce responding to the paperization and recyclability...

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Packaging Innovations 2026: Foodservice Packaging Association chair flags pEPR uncertainty
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Packaging Innovations 2026: Multivac presents flexible materials as pEPR drives compliance
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Packaging Innovations 2026: Tipa VP spotlights produce stickers and recyclable paper expansion
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