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Investigation underway as Norway misses recycling targets, European regulator finds

The European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority (ESA) has issued a letter of formal notice to Norway for failing to meet its key waste collection and recycling targets, highlighting faults in the country’s collection and separation system. In the letter, the ESA notes that while 50% of municipal waste should have been prepared for reuse and recycling by 2020, it only reached 41.7% in 2023. Moreover, the country needed to recycle 50% of plastic packaging by 2025, but in 2024 the figure was 34%. 
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AI, sorting tech & data optimize packaging recycling systems
Packaging recycling is a key challenge in the global effort to reduce waste and increase circularity. With advanced solutions and a collaborative approach, the industry is exploring scalable, adaptable, and capable technologies to handle complex waste streams. Packaging Insights speaks to Greenback Recycling Technologies, Greyparrot, and Tomra Recycling about the latest innovations in packaging recycling. We also explore the future trends predicted to shape the  industry.
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Lack of clarity over UK pEPR legislation “paralyzing” for brands, warns Aquapak
As EPR regulations come into effect around the world, Aquapak Polymers, a UK-based manufacturer of flexible plastics, has warned that unclear definitions stifle innovation, leading brands to absorb costs and place them onto consumers. Aquapak argues that the UK’s packaging EPR (pEPR) — which came into effect in October 2025 — lacks clarity due to changes in definitions and shifts in guidance. Packaging Insights speaks with Dr. John Williams, chief technology officer at Aquapak, about the cost of EPR regulations for everyday consumers, highlighting how brands are absorbing those costs rather than innovating with circular materials. 
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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.
Aicomp Summit 2026 Aicomp video thumbnail: Presenter gesturing beside a screen displaying a 3D cargo load diagram, with an inset headshot of a man wearing glasses in the upper left
Aicomp Summit 2026: Aicomp spotlights product configuration solutions 

Nacho Balbontín, global head of sales at Aicomp, told us about the company’s product configuration solutions — VCPowerPack, which enables packaging personalization, and Cubicus, designed for companies seeking enterprise resource planning system integration.

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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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ALPLA opens first Philippines plant to boost APAC packaging expansion
ALPLA plant Philippines
ALPLA is opening its first plant in the Philippines, expanding its portfolio in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Through the plant, ALPLA aims to establish a versatile offering for customers in the beverage industry and other sectors. At its new facility, the global packaging specialist manufactures high-quality containers, bottles, and closures for various industries using three technologies: injection stretch blow molding (ISBM), extrusion blow molding (EBM), and compression molding (CM). Its customers include multinational FMCG manufacturers, international beverage companies, and local producers. ALPLA says the plant is prepared for future capacity expansions. It started with four production lines, with the option to install five more lines. 
Asda and Podback recycle 20 million coffee pods in first year
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Asda and Podback have recycled more than 20 million coffee pods through Asda stores in the first year of their partnership across the UK. Asda’s in-store return points are proving an “easy and reliable” approach to recycling used coffee pods. As coffee pods are small and contain organic residue, they can pose a challenge to curbside recycling. Through the Podback partnership, customers can fill a Podback bag and drop it at the participating Asda toYou counter.
ExxonMobil and Reifenhäuser unveil PCR-based stretch hood film
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ExxonMobil Signature Polymers and Reifenhäuser have developed a stretch hood film incorporating 35% household-sourced PCR content suitable for high-performance packaging. Reifenhäuser’s EVO Fusion line enables the solution’s production. The twin-screw technology is said to provide the intense shearing, thorough homogenization, and volatile extraction needed to process lower-quality PCR materials into a high-quality film.
Unilever meets own plastic reduction goals, but Greenpeace questions real impact
woman recycling
Unilever’s plastic packaging targets are falling short in addressing the full scale of plastic production, according to Greenpeace, despite the company’s 2025 Annual Report hinting at a shift toward paper-based solutions. Unilever’s report provides an update on its plastic packaging targets, like recycled content and reusability, as well as an updated assessment of the environmental impact of its production processes. 
Rising oil and plastic prices push packagers toward recycled materials
Oil refinery
The escalating war in Iran and the wider Middle East has contributed to a sharp rise in oil and energy prices, as attacks on energy infrastructure and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have unsettled global supply routes and tightened markets. We sit down with Marcel Alberts, founder at Healix, a Netherlands-based clean-tech recycling start-up, to explore how rising oil prices impact Europe’s packaging supply chains. 
Cargill chief economist warns “food security is global security” as index...
Food plantation.

Food Ingredients First

Global food systems are far more vulnerable than policymakers assume, a new 60-country resilience benchmark warns, with no nation scoring above 80 out of 100 and climate risk emerging as a universal weak spot. The findings have emerged as the Strait of Hormuz crisis disrupts a third of globally traded fertilizer, threatening major knock on effects for the F&B industry worldwide. The inaugural Resilient Food Systems Index (RFSI), published by Economist Impact and supported by Cargill, evaluates resilience across four pillars — affordability, availability, quality and safety, and climate risk responsiveness — using 71 indicators, and identifies a 42-point gap between the most resilient system (Portugal, 76.83) and the least (Democratic Republic of Congo, 34.86). 
Highlighted features
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Regulatory News
US imposes anti-dumping duties on PP corrugated boxes from...
The US Department of Commerce has officially issued anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on PP corrugated boxes from China. Industry associations expect the measures  to increase overhead costs for Chinese plastic product exporters.The anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders are based on the final ruling made by the US International Trade Commission (USITC).
Aicomp summit
Tech & Innovation
Aicomp Summit 2026 review: Human-centric AI, digitalization...
Facilitating efficiency and regulatory compliance emerged as key benefits of the packaging industry’s accelerating digitalization at the Aicomp Summit in Vienna, Austria, last week. Event speakers also highlighted the importance of keeping the human element at the center of the industry’s digital transformation to stay ahead of the competition. René Chomsé, data scientist and IT consultant at Aicomp, tells Packaging Insights that he expects AI and machine learning (ML) to continue changing the packaging industry over the coming years. 
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.

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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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Aicomp Summit 2026 Aicomp video thumbnail: Presenter gesturing beside a screen displaying a 3D cargo load diagram, with an inset headshot of a man wearing glasses in the upper left
Video07:04
Aicomp Summit 2026: Aicomp spotlights product configuration solutions 

Nacho Balbontín, global head of sales at Aicomp, told us about the company’s product configuration solutions — VCPowerPack, which enables packaging personalization, and Cubicus, designed for companies seeking enterprise resource planning system integration.

Jürgen Löw, T.CON
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Aicomp Summit 2026: T.CON talks digital manufacturing for corrugated packaging
Mark Dop, Kivo Flexible Plastics
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Aicomp Summit 2026: Kivo Flexible Plastics talks digitalization in manufacturing
Aicomp Summit 2026 OMP video thumbnail: Male speaker in suit highlighted in circular frame overlay, with audience raising hands during a conference or seminar in the background.
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Aicomp Summit 2026 live: OMP talks packaging software for compliance & cost efficiency
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