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Oil and plastic packaging production.

March in review: Iran war disrupts supply chains, regulation updates & Aicomp Summit 2026

Last month, the Iran war affected the packaging industry, leading to rising oil prices, a move toward recycled materials, and plastic bag shortages. Meanwhile, the UK launched investigations into glass container imports from China and Türkiye, and the US imposed anti-dumping duties on PP corrugated boxes from China. The Aicomp Summit 2026 took place in Austria. We attended the event and explored how facilitating efficiency and regulatory compliance emerged as key benefits of the packaging industry’s accelerating digitalization. 
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Dairy packagers embrace plastic reduction and smart labels for traceability
Material innovation and durable labeling are transforming dairy packaging. As sustainability regulations tighten, packagers are turning to recycled content and fiber-based solutions, while high-speed filling lines require labels that ensure security and clear traceability. Packaging Insights speaks to Amcor Limited, Elopak, LEIBINGER, and SIG about their latest dairy packaging solutions, exploring various industry approaches to tackling plastic reduction and the emerging demand for active packaging options. 
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Nuon Medical explores beauty packaging shift to performance-driven tech
Beauty packaging is no longer a passive vehicle for product delivery, according to Alain Dijkstra, CEO at Nuon Medical. Dijkstra identifies beauty packaging as an extension of the brand’s promise, a driver of performance, and a touchpoint in the consumer relationship.Nuon Medical’s advanced cosmetic packaging solutions have combined technologies including phototherapy, microcurrents, and skin measurement sensors to improve product performance.
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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.
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Aicomp Summit 2026: Stratasys talks industrial 3D printing in packaging 
Stefan Zoller, senior application engineer at Stratasys, demonstrated how 3D printing can add value to packaging, showcasing applications in prototyping, tooling, and spare part production. He explored additive manufacturing as a potential alternative to metals.
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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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Reconomy to open major UK plastic recycling plant
recycling worker in factory
Eurokey, a brand of the circular economy specialist Reconomy, is set to establish a £20 million (US$25.4 million) plastic recycling facility in Corby, Northamptonshire, UK. The 138,000 square foot facility is said to be the largest of its kind in the UK and aims to boost domestic recycling capacity. 
Henkel launches low-carbon tinplate cans for adhesives
Henkel cans
Henkel has introduced tinplate can packaging for adhesive solutions made in collaboration with the German tinplate manufacturer Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein and Pirlo, an Austrian metal packaging producer.The Bluemint steel packaging offers a 62% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional tin cans.
HACTL debuts recycled plastic sheets for air cargo in Hong Kong
A person in blue gloves working on a large box
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (HACTL) has partnered with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) to introduce the “world-first” fully closed-loop recycled plastic sheets for cargo operations.The two organizations have developed the plastic sheets using post-consumer plastic sheet waste generated by HACTL, creating a potentially scalable and applicable solution for the wider industry.
Gas shortages drive glass bottle price increases in India
man inspecting glass bottle line
Brewers in India have warned of glass bottle and aluminum can price increases due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as disruptions to the supply of natural gas and shipping delay imports. The Brewers Association of India, which represents Heineken, Anheuser-Busch, and Carlsberg, says that glass bottle prices have surged around 20%. Moreover, paper carton rates have doubled, as well as other packaging materials such as labels and tape. 
Zero Waste Day 2026: Avery Dennison spotlights smart packaging to reduce food...
Meat packaging check
Avery Dennison is marking the UN’s International Day of Zero Waste (March 30) with a report revealing how limited inventory control is contributing to “record levels” of meat loss. We catch up with a company spokesperson to find out how connected packaging can help tackle food waste.“Packaging innovation is at the heart of the solution to food waste, but it is most effective when combined with better forecasting and stronger supply chain management,” a spokesperson at Avery Dennison tells Packaging Insights. 
Unilever and McCormick strike deal to form US$20B global food powerhouse
Unilever headquarters.

Food Ingredients First

Unilever and McCormick have agreed to combine Unilever’s global Foods business with McCormick, creating a significantly larger, flavor‑focused global food company with around US$20 billion in annual revenue and a portfolio spanning herbs, spices, seasonings, sauces, and condiments. The deal brings together leading brands, such as Knorr, Hellmann’s, French’s, Cholula, and Frank’s. The British multinational is set to reinvent itself as a pure-play home and personal care business following the divestment, focused on higher‑growth, higher‑margin categories like beauty, well-being, and home care. For US-based McCormick, the deal represents an aggressive move to expand its footprint beyond spices into a broader set of food categories and accelerate global growth.
Highlighted features
alcohol packaging
Packaging & Technology News
Carbon accountability, paper & recycled labels shape...
For alcohol packaging companies, sustainability claims are shifting from brand differentiation to an essential requirement in line with evolving consumer expectations. We speak with Frugalpac, PulPac, and UPM Adhesive Materials to explore how the packaging experts rethink materials, transportation, and energy use.Malcolm Waugh, CEO at Frugalpac, tells Packaging Insights: “Technology is the bridge between sustainable ambition and industrial reality. It makes sustainability practical by cutting transport miles, shortening supply chains, reducing emissions, and giving brands control over production.”“Alcohol brands have an opportunity to lead the sustainability agenda in packaging. This is a highly visible and influential sector and changes made here ripple across the wider F&B industry.”
Close-up of a person holding a plastic bag
Packaging & Technology News
Middle East conflict causes plastic bag shortages in South...
The ongoing Iran war and broader geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have triggered a shortage of naphtha feedstock in South Korea, impacting the stability of the nation’s plastic packaging industry. Naphtha, a raw material of petrochemical plants, is crucial for crude oil distillation. It is used to produce first-generation plastic products like ethylene and propylene, which can then be polymerized to create synthetic resin materials. 
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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Zero Waste Day 2026: Brands reduce packaging material Mar 2026

On this year's Zero Waste Day, consumer interest in minimizing their environmental footprint comes into focus. According to Innova Market Insights, nearly one-third of consumers worldwide associate waste reduction directly with protecting nature. This shift is reshaping the F&B aisle, with more launches touting reduced or minimal packaging as brands race to meet demand for smarter, more sustainable formats.

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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Video04:01
Aicomp Summit 2026: Stratasys talks industrial 3D printing in packaging 

Stefan Zoller, senior application engineer at Stratasys, demonstrated how 3D printing can add value to packaging, showcasing applications in prototyping, tooling, and spare part production. He explored additive manufacturing as a potential alternative to metals.

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Video05:09
Aicomp Summit 2026: X-IT chief outlines solutions for PPWR compliance
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
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Aicomp Summit 2026: Aicomp spotlights product configuration solutions 
Jürgen Löw, T.CON
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Aicomp Summit 2026: T.CON talks digital manufacturing for corrugated packaging
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