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alcohol packaging

Carbon accountability, paper & recycled labels shape alcohol packaging trends

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.”
man looks at cheese in shop
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, 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: X-IT chief outlines solutions for PPWR compliance
Timo Klemm, chief sales and marketing officer at X-IT, explained how the company helps businesses translate regulatory requirements into IT solutions. X-IT supports data analysis and reporting to ensure compliance with EU regulations like the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
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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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Actega and Living Ink launch algae-based ink for carbon-negative printing
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Actega and Living Ink Technologies have introduced ACTExact UV Black Algae Ink. The algae-based solution is said to reduce emissions through renewable, bio-based pigment technology.The ink adopts Living Ink Technologies’ Algae Black pigment and replaces petroleum-derived carbon black with a carbon-negative pigment developed from recycled algae biomass. According to the companies, the algae biomass waste is pyrolyzed, refined, and purified into a high-performance black pigment.
Sonoco supplies paper-based GreenCan to French sea salt company
paper can
Sonoco has supplied its GreenCan solution to Noirmoutier Sea Salt Cooperative’s range, replacing its plastic sprinkler container with a paper-based alternative. Salt requires specific packaging requirements as it is sensitive to humidity and moisture, explains Sonoco. 
UPM Specialty Materials and Paramelt unveil grease-resistant paper packaging
Food in paper packaging with a cup of coffee
UPM Specialty Materials and Paramelt have jointly created a bio- and paper-based food packaging for bakery, fast food, and convenience applications. The solution combines UPM’s advanced barrier base papers with Paramelt’s bio-based, heat-seal, and barrier technology. The components have been individually confirmed to be home compostable, according to the companies.
Amcor unveils airless dispenser to protect personal care formulas
personal care packaging
Amcor has launched an airless dispensing system to protect personal care formulations, such as foundation or skin care. The Magic One dispenser is made from polyolefin and is recycle-ready in countries with appropriate infrastructure. Amcor explains that its 96% recycling recovery rate meets PPWR recyclability standards. 
AI tool enables recycled plastic tracking for regulatory compliance
Plastics researcher
Researchers at the University at Buffalo (UB), US, have developed a new method to differentiate recycled from virgin plastic in packaging formats such as bottles, shopping bags, and yogurt cups.The method combines scientific testing and AI to help companies, regulatory agencies, and organizations monitor plastic recycling.“Our goal is to create a quick and reliable tool that can be used to verify recycled material content, as well as enforce recycling regulations,” says corresponding author Amit Goyal, professor at the UB Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
AI-powered ingredient discovery gains ground as Ingredion and Shiru target...
Lab research.

Food Ingredients First

Ingredion and AI-enabled protein discovery company Shiru have announced a global R&D collaboration aimed at accelerating the discovery and commercialization of novel functional proteins for food, beverage, supplements, and specialized nutrition. The partnership pairs Shiru’s Flourish platform — which maps more than 77 million natural protein sequences — with Ingredion’s formulation expertise, regulatory know-how, and customer network spanning 120 countries.  
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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. 
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Regulatory News
Hong Kong tobacco packaging plan raises counterfeit concerns
The government of the Hong Kong SAR plans to introduce standardized tobacco packaging alongside a duty stamp system. However, the proposal has drawn concern from independent vendors. The Health Bureau has announced that the government tentatively plans to implement the uniform packaging design for conventional smoking products and the duty stamp system simultaneously in the second quarter of 2027.
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.

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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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Video05:09
Aicomp Summit 2026: X-IT chief outlines solutions for PPWR compliance

Timo Klemm, chief sales and marketing officer at X-IT, explained how the company helps businesses translate regulatory requirements into IT solutions. X-IT supports data analysis and reporting to ensure compliance with EU regulations like the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

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
Mark Dop, Kivo Flexible Plastics
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Aicomp Summit 2026: Kivo Flexible Plastics talks digitalization in manufacturing
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