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Consumer interacts with connected packaging.

Appetite Creative survey reveals growing industry confidence in connected packaging

The packaging industry’s confidence in connected packaging has reached 92.3%, according to a new survey by Appetite Creative and Koenig & Bauer. The percentage of surveyed companies using such packaging has also increased since last year’s edition. “Adoption has grown significantly — from 72.6% in 2025 to 81.2% in 2026, continuing a strong upward trajectory,” Jenny Stanley, managing director at Appetite Creative, tells Packaging Insights.
Innova Top Packaging Trends 2026.
Top Packaging Trends 2026: Navigating sustainability, digital innovation & consumer-centric design
Innova Market Insights has announced its Top Packaging Trends 2026, with “Substantiated Sustainability” taking top spot. This trend emphasizes the need for verified environmental claims, driven by stricter regulations, such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging but are wary of greenwashing, meaning brands must back sustainability claims with scientific evidence. The second trend, “Digital-Enhanced Designs,” highlights the growing role of digital technologies like AI, augmented reality, and QR codes in packaging. These innovations improve consumer engagement and product traceability, while digital product passports offer detailed lifecycle data.
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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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Dairy packaging innovation
Dairy packaging launches are increasing at a 17% compound annual growth rate from 2021 to 2025, according to data provided by Innova Market Insights. Environmental sustainability remains a major trend, with consumers globally opting for biodegradable packaging for dairy products. Recyclable was the leading sustainable packaging claim, while reusable saw the fastest growth in launches.
Christian Lyth, OnRobot
Packaging Innovations 2026: OnRobot showcases palletizing cobot and software for packagers

Christian Lyth, sales manager at OnRobot, discussed the company’s Stack Smart palletizing solution, which features palletizing software designed to meet the needs of the packaging industry.

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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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Fiberdom scales plastic-free pack material for EU PPWR compliance
A material made from paper
Fiberdom has completed industrial pilot trials of its plastic-free Duranova, a material made from FSC-certified wood pulp or paperboard. The trials used a continuous reel-to-reel pilot line supplied by Vits Technology, a machine and plant engineering company.The tests for Fiberdom’s Duranova material were conducted at Vits Technology’s development center in Germany. It is said to be the first application of the material in a reel-to-reel industrial pilot process, which is a requirement for large-scale thermoformable product and packaging converters.
Samsung shifts to paper-based and recycled mobile phone packaging
samsung phone packaging
Samsung has transitioned from single-use plastics to paper-based and recycled alternatives for its mobile phone packaging as part of its 2025 sustainability goals. The international electronics giant’s Galaxy for the Planet initiative aimed to reduce the environmental impact of its mobile products and operations. 
Clariant secures EU approval for renewable rice bran wax additives in food packs
Bags of vegetables
Clariant has received approval from the European Commission (EC) for its renewable rice bran wax additives in food-contact plastics, based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) positive safety assessment.The rice bran wax additives are said to provide processing benefits, including effective lubrication, mold release, nucleation effects, and improved dispersion properties for applications like beverage bottles, food containers, and protective packaging.
Amcor unveils customizable and scalable bottle for personal care
mocha bottle range in bathroom
Amcor has launched a bottle for the personal care sector, offering customizable options and a low minimum order quantity (MOQ), enabling brands to go to market quickly. The MOQ for the Mocha bottle is 10,000 pieces with delivery in eight weeks. 
Can Manufacturers Institute pushes for US tariff relief on metals amid rising...
Can factory
Tariffs and trade are the main obstacles currently facing the US can making industry, according to Pearce Crosland, the senior director of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs at the Can Manufacturers Institute, based in Washington DC.The Can Manufacturers Institute is the national trade association of the US metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers, representing more than 28,000 employees. 
February in review: Major divestments, cultivated cacao bets, fertilizer trade...
F&B February industry review 2026.

Food Ingredients First

In February 2026, major F&B companies released their full-year results amid challenging global headwinds, including inflationary pressures, rising energy costs, and supply chain disruptions. IFF put its Food Ingredients segment up for sale, while dsm-firmenich agreed to sell its Animal Nutrition & Health business. Barry Callebaut outlined a roadmap for the chocolate industry following the cocoa crisis, as Cargill and Puratos revealed investments in cultivated cacao for commercial food applications.
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Innova Top Packaging Trends 2026.
Special report
Top Packaging Trends 2026: Navigating sustainability,...
Innova Market Insights has announced its Top Packaging Trends 2026, with “Substantiated Sustainability” taking top spot. This trend emphasizes the need for verified environmental claims, driven by stricter regulations, such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging but are wary of greenwashing, meaning brands must back sustainability claims with scientific evidence. The second trend, “Digital-Enhanced Designs,” highlights the growing role of digital technologies like AI, augmented reality, and QR codes in packaging. These innovations improve consumer engagement and product traceability, while digital product passports offer detailed lifecycle data.
Person recycles can
Packaging & Technology News
Europe hits record aluminum can recycling rate, industry...
The overall recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland reached a record high of 76.3% in 2023, according to a new report by European Aluminium and Metal Packaging Europe. “The increase was primarily driven by the continued rollout and strong performance of well-designed DRSs,” Andy Doran, director of packaging group at European Aluminium, tells Packaging Insights. 
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Packaging & Technology News
Metsä Board opens AI-powered packaging design studio in...
Metsä Board is set to open a new Packaging Design Studio in Milan, Italy, in mid-2026, aiming to strengthen collaboration with European brands, converters, and packaging developers. The studio will be equipped with tools and AI support technology to aid workshops and co-creation in projects where sustainability targets, performance requirements, or regulatory changes “drive the need for new solutions.” 

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Beauty and care packagingMar2026

Innova Market Insights’ data shows a 3% compound annual growth rate in beauty and personal care packaging launches from 2024 to 2025. More than 20% of launches were packaged in folded cartons, while 7...

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Breakthrough barrier coatings Mar 2026

Freshness is a key factor consumers use to assess F&B packaging quality, according to Innova Market Insights. Barrier coatings on packaging help preserve freshness and flavor by protecting products from bacteria and external contaminants. New product launches indicate that brands are increasingly emphasizing this packaging benefit in their communications.

Trend analysis

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Dairy packaging innovationMar 2026

Dairy packaging launches are increasing at a 17% compound annual growth rate from 2021 to 2025, according to data provided by Innova Market Insights. Environmental sustainability remains a major trend, with consumers globally opting for biodegradable packaging for dairy products. Recyclable was the leading sustainable packaging claim, while reusable saw the fastest growth in launches.

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Christian Lyth, OnRobot
Video03:00
Packaging Innovations 2026: OnRobot showcases palletizing cobot and software for packagers

Christian Lyth, sales manager at OnRobot, discussed the company’s Stack Smart palletizing solution, which features palletizing software designed to meet the needs of the packaging industry.

Wendy Lam, EzyGreenPak 
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Packaging Innovations 2026: EzyGreenPak showcases water-soluble, plant-based material
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Packaging Innovations 2026: Metpack VP talks compostables for US & EU markets
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Packaging Innovations 2026: Sun Chemical packaging director on latest printing tech
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