2019 in review: The top 20 most popular stories

All roads lead to a circular packaging economy: In a year once again dominated by the drive for increased sustainability, suppliers and brand owners got more serious in their attempts to unearth truly “circular” packaging systems and concepts. The rising tide of public anti-plastic sentiment manifested itself in more stringent environmental regulations, notably the EU’s ban on single-use plastic items. Innovation in paper-based and other material alternatives to plastics came to the fore, as did a rise in reusable packaging innovations, encouraged by TerraCycle’s Loop initiative. In some quarters, however, faith in plastic as the ideal circular material remains strong, with recyclable and recycled plastic packaging launches grabbing headlines throughout the year.