mainsitelogo
arrow
Packaging Innovations 2025: Ecosurety discusses how the UK’s EPR is changing the industry

Packaging Innovations 2025: Ecosurety discusses how the UK’s EPR is changing the industry

The UK’s new EPR legislation is transforming the packaging industry by driving companies toward more sustainable practices and reducing some costs, argues Jon Brookes, partnerships director at Ecosurety, a UK-based regulatory compliance service. Speaking to Packaging Insights at Packaging Innovations 2025, Brookes tells us that while EPR introduces many complexities, it can also bring opportunities. “We’ve worked with hundreds of producers in the UK and globally, particularly with brand owners, to help them understand the new UK EPR regulations.”“The opportunity we see at the moment, with the onset of EPR, is that we’ll be able to help companies collect data and look at increasing the quality, diversity, and accuracy of the data so they can understand packaging materials and weight,” he explains.
Packagers leverage automation and robotics to bridge production quality and efficiency gap
Packagers leverage automation and robotics to bridge production quality and efficiency gap
Automation and robotics have become essential for businesses striving to remain competitive in today’s fast-evolving packaging landscape. With increasing material diversity and a growing focus on environmental sustainability, intelligent machinery can unlock greater efficiency, precision, and long-term success. Packaging industry leaders are moving toward smarter and more energy-efficient solutions. Enhanced connectivity through Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and advanced robotics for precision handling are shaping the future, according to industry experts. 
Packaging Innovations 2025: GoUnpackaged director urges reusability over “material shifting”
Packaging Innovations 2025: GoUnpackaged director urges reusability over “material shifting”
Environmental sustainability is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s a must, with half of UK consumers actively preferring to shop with brands that implement reuse and refill systems, according to Catherine Conway, director and reuse lead at reusable packaging consultancy GoUnpackaged. But she explains that the decision to opt for reusability must be made early on in the design process — only then can systems be designed to be more sustainable than single-use. GoUnpackaged estimates that the UK would eliminate over 1.4 billion items of single-use packaging annually if every household opted to reuse just one item per week. The consultancy specializes in helping clients transition from single-use to reusable packaging. It identifies the best products and categories to transition to reuse based on commercial, operational, and environmental KPIs using its proprietary supply chain modelling tool, UnpackAnalytics. 
The Fundamentals of Responsible Packaging
The Fundamentals of Responsible Packaging
Keeping up to date with the food packaging legislation landscape is challenging. As a packaging partner, Colpac can guide customers through legislative topics. Colpac is keen to highlight several fundamental areas that underpin the development of responsible food packaging that is safer for us and kinder to our planet.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Colpac.
Packaging Innovations 2025 live: Wipak anticipates EU PPWR and digital product passport impacts
Packaging Innovations 2025 live: Wipak anticipates EU PPWR and digital product passport impacts

Wipak presented its latest range of GreenChoice packaging solutions, designed for increasingly stringent recyclability regulations, at Packaging Innovations 2025 in the UK. Keith Gater, product manager for GreenChoice, tells us what impacts the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) could have on packaging design and how UK businesses might align with the new rules. Gater also considers the role of digital product passports in the future of packaging.

2025 ISM & ProSweets: Ethical sourcing and health consciousness in the future of confectionery
2025 ISM & ProSweets: Ethical sourcing and health consciousness in the future of confectionery
On the show floor at this year’s ISM and ProSweets 2025 in Cologne, Germany, confectionery and snack companies addressed the myriad social, environmental, and economic challenges plaguing global cocoa supply chains. Solutions ranged from ingredients targeting sustainability, cost reduction, and production efficiency amid an enduring consumer appetite for indulgent cocoa and chocolate offerings. While protein demand remained consistent across sweet and snacking categories, exhibitors boosted nutritional footprints with innovative fortified formats.

Latest headlines

Coca-Cola weighs packaging shift as US tariffs drive up aluminum costs
A hand pouring a can of Coke into a glass.
US President Donald Trump has signed proclamations to close existing loopholes and exemptions, effectively restoring a 25% tariff on steel imports and raising the aluminum tariff to 25%. In response, Coca-Cola is seeking to adapt to the rising aluminum costs by exploring alternative packaging materials, including PET bottles.The current US administration aims to “end unfair trade practices and the global dumping” of steel and aluminum. According to President Donald Trump, the tariff will take effect on March 12 “without exceptions or exemptions.”
Mondi and Proquimia launch paper-based pouches for dishwasher tabs in Spain and Portugal
Mondi and Proquimia dishwasher tabs
Mondi has partnered with Proquimia to create paper-based, stand-up dishwasher tab pouches using Mondi’s recyclable Functional Barrier Paper 95/5. The pouches, designed to meet local recycling needs, have been released in Spain and Portugal.
Hoffmann Neopac divests tin business unit, refocuses on tube packaging
mountain range with Neopac facility in foreground
The tube manufacturer Hoffmann Neopac has announced the sale of its tin business to France-based metal company Massilly. Massilly is a family-run business specializing in the production of closures, food cans, industrial pails, decorative tins, and aerosol cans. It operates through 25 subsidiaries in 13 countries.
Beyond The Headlines: Berry Global’s stretch film at Packaging Innovations 2025, Siegwerk’s NC-free ink
Berry Global’s stretch film
This week in industry news, Berry Global released its Bontite Sustane Stretch Film at the  Packaging Innovations trade show, and Siegwerk launched its nitrocellulose (NC) free ink series. Meanwhile, RRD invested in digital print presses from HP, and Ban Toxins Philippines started a Valentine’s Day campaign. 
Packaging Innovations 2025 live: Colpac talks fiberization opportunities and challenges
A group of people in at Colpac's booth
At Packaging Innovations 2025, Colpac is presenting its latest sustainable food packaging solutions, including paperboard innovations and platters. On the show floor, Packaging Insights speaks with Colpac’s Andrew Grimbaldeston, managing director, and Talia Goldman, ESG director, about the F&B industry shifts toward fiber-based packaging. Colpac is showcasing its Stagione Light range, which is designed to display cold dishes in chiller cabinets. These containers feature a grease-resistant barrier and a webbed design, ensuring leakproof performance for packaging dressed salads. Additionally, they are suitable for serving hot meals.
Palsgaard tackles cocoa price and production volatilities with “next-generation emulsifiers”
a hand mixiing chocolate ingredients in a bowl

Food Ingredients First

The chocolate industry is rapidly transforming as fluctuating cocoa supply, climate change, and rising demand for health-conscious and sustainable products force F&B players to innovate in the face of constraints. The ongoing cocoa crisis has brought sustainability to the fore, while cost pressures and shifting consumer preferences make way for novel ways to recreate conventional recipes and processes.
Highlighted features
article image
Key interview

Packaging Innovations 2025: GoUnpackaged director urges reusability over “material shifting”

Environmental sustainability is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s a must, with half of UK consumers actively preferring to shop with brands that implement reuse and refill systems, according to Catherine Conway, director and reuse lead at reusable packaging consultancy GoUnpackaged. But she explains that the decision to opt for reusability must be made early on in the design process — only then can systems be designed to be more sustainable than single-use. GoUnpackaged estimates that the UK would eliminate over 1.4 billion items of single-use packaging annually if every household opted to reuse just one item per week. The consultancy specializes in helping clients transition from single-use to reusable packaging. It identifies the best products and categories to transition to reuse based on commercial, operational, and environmental KPIs using its proprietary supply chain modelling tool, UnpackAnalytics. 

Packaging focus

technicalpaper

Sustainable packaging solutionsFeb2025

Innova Market Insights data indicates that Sustainable Packaging in F&B had a 2% growth from October 2019 to September 2024. Europe spearheaded the trend with 46% of launches. Bakery emerged as th...

Brought to you by:

Innova Market Insights

Product innovation

product image

Barrier coating innovation Jan 2025

Barrier coating innovation is crucial for food and packaging as it enhances the protection of products against moisture, oxygen, and contaminants, ensuring extended shelf life and freshness. Additionally, advancements in eco-friendly barrier coatings promote sustainability by reducing reliance on non-recyclable materials, supporting environmental goals.

Trend analysis

analysis chart image

Fruit & Vegetable packagingJan 2025

Innova Market Insights data shows a rise in global fruit and vegetable product launches, with flat pouches being the leading packaging type. Among sustainable claims, "recyclable" was the most common, while carbon label claims saw notable growth.

Multimedia

headline
Video
Packaging Innovations 2025 live: Wipak anticipates EU PPWR and digital product passport impacts

Wipak presented its latest range of GreenChoice packaging solutions, designed for increasingly stringent recyclability regulations, at Packaging Innovations 2025 in the UK. Keith Gater, product manager for GreenChoice, tells us what impacts the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation...

FormattedPicture
Video7:15
Packaging Innovations 2025 live: British Plastics Federation on UK’s “detrimental” EPR and US pro-plastic stance
FormattedPicture
Video
Packaging Innovations 2025 live: ProAmpac targets European regulatory demands
FormattedPicture
Video
ProSweets Cologne 2025: Syntegon presents SVX Series vertical packaging machine
Click Here
Subscribe to our newsletters
PlatformsFood Ingredients FirstNutrition InsightPackaging InsightsPersonal Care InsightsThe World of Food Ingredients
About usContact usAdvertisingPrivacy statementSitemap
Follow us
linkedinrss_header
trans