April in review: EU pellets regulation, New York waste bill, Australian ocean plastic lawsuit
In April, the EU Council and the European Parliament provisionally agreed on the first ever EU regulation tackling environmental pollution caused by plastic pellets. Meanwhile, the New York packaging waste bill moved forward in the legislative process as industry lobbyists raised concerns.
Packaging Insights attended Empack 2025 and the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) 2025 in the Netherlands, showcasing robotics and automation advancements and plastic recycling innovations.
In a landmark lawsuit, Clorox Australia was fined for “misleading” ocean plastic claims in home care products.
PRSE 2025: Neste’s head of chemical recycling explores circular plastics economy
There is fresh momentum and accelerated expansion in chemical recycling, according to Andreas Teir, head of chemical recycling at Neste. Packaging Insights interviewed Teir at PRSE 2025 in the Netherlands to discuss recent developments in chemical recycling, the regulatory landscape, and the “complementary nature” of mechanical and chemical recycling.
PHARMAP 2025: Graphic Packaging International balances safety and sustainability in healthcare
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation poses many challenges for pharma and medical companies whose priority is to guarantee patient safety while moving toward recyclable packaging products. We sat down with Andreas Koechling, regional sales director for Healthcare in Germany and Austria at Graphic Packaging International, to discuss how the company reduces plastic in medical applications to meet regulatory requirements.
The UN Global Plastic Treaty needs to encourage reuse and reduce single-use, said Merissa Naidoo, Plastic Programme manager for GAIA and BFFP Africa.
Empack 2025 review: Automation and robotics proliferate amid labor shortages
Specialized labor shortages in the packaging industry were a widely discussed issue at Empack 2025 in the Netherlands. We explored solutions to this growing problem with Fanuc, Smart Robotics, and Mosca. These companies showcased robots, cobots, and other automation machines aimed at tackling labor shortages at the event and told us how their solutions can support warehouse operations and guarantee compliance with the latest regulations.
Recycling in South Africa: Strengthening the circular economy through EPR advancements
South Africa strengthened its regulatory and operational frameworks for packaging waste management. We interviewed Francois Marais, executive of EPR stakeholders and projects at Polyco, to learn more about the country’s EPR scheme and how collection can be further improved. Marais told us that South Africa is moving closer to a circular economy for packaging as EPR takes root. We also explored how a sustainable future for national waste management can be established.
Recycling in Brazil: Study advocates for revised legislation and public-private partnerships
Brazil’s recycling infrastructure has “gaps” in implementing recycling policies and regulations, according to a newly released study. The research challenged the competency of two Brazilian laws and argued for better public-private partnerships and improved policy frameworks for waste management. The study concluded that as more waste management policies are implemented by municipal solid waste services, the efficiency of solid waste management decreases.
EU agrees on first ever plastic pellet regulation, but NGOs warn of loopholes
The EU Council and the European Parliament provisionally agreed on a regulation to tackle environmental pollution with plastic pellets — an industrial raw material used in plastic products. We discussed what packagers can do to prevent pellet spillage with the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Brussels-based NGO Seas At Risk.
Ireland’s DRS hits one billion packaging containers returned in first year
DRS in Ireland registered significant success in its first year, according to smart waste management company Sensoneo. Ireland’s DRS IT system provider said that as of this April, the scheme established 3,200 active collection points, 9,886 registered products, and 1.2 billion collected containers through reverse vending machines.
Herbert van Burken, area sales manager at Fanuc Benelux, told us about the cobot it exhibited at Empack 2025 and its packaging applications.
Packaging color saturation shapes consumer perceptions of product efficacy, study finds
New research revealed that consumers associate more saturated packaging colors with higher product efficacy, highlighting how visual design elements can serve as an often subconscious influence in consumer decision-making. We spoke to Lauren Labrecque, co-author of the study and professor of marketing at the University of Rhode Island, US, to learn more about the effect of color on consumer packaging.
Clorox fined for “misleading” ocean plastic claims in home care products
Australia’s Federal Court sentenced Clorox Australia (Clorox) to pay a penalty of AU$8.25 million (US$5.24 million) for making “false or misleading” representations to consumers by stating that certain Glad kitchen and garbage bags were partly made of recycled ocean plastic. The fine followed legal action by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
New York packaging waste bill gains momentum but businesses want protection
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act is currently moving through the US legislative process in New York and will be voted on by the Assembly later this year. While advocates, including the international NGO Beyond Plastics, support the packaging bill for addressing the growing issue of packaging waste in New York, industry lobbyists oppose it and want to see businesses protected. We spoke to Beyond Plastics to learn more about the bill.
Amcor APAC Healthcare VP: Malaysia facility sets new packaging quality standards
Amcor completed the construction of a new advanced coating facility in Malaysia. Packaging Insights sat down with Laura Wong, vice president for Healthcare at Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific, to discuss how the company’s air knife coating facility strengthens the region’s pharma market, the advantages of local production, and how the packaging giant addresses the unique challenges of healthcare solutions.
Alberto Piovesan, global segment director for Plastics at Tomra, told us about the company’s AI-powered recycling technologies at PRSE 2025.
Bali bans small plastic water bottles but environmentalists call for waste infrastructure and refill investments
Bali, Indonesia, banned the production and distribution of plastic water containers smaller than one liter. While environmentalists applaud the ban, they also call for local waste management infrastructure investments and bottle refill stations. Sungai Watch, an environmental NGO based in Bali, told us more about what is needed to improve regional plastic circularity.
European Commission approves Amcor and Berry Global merger, paving way for deal closure
The European Commission granted Amcor and Berry Global antitrust approval for their business combination. According to the merger agreement, the Commission’s “unconditional” approval allows the two entities to complete the remaining steps of closing and merging into a single global packaging business. The Commission approval was granted under the EU Merger Regulation after the companies completed the required final regulatory clearance.
British Glass director: UK’s packaging EPR rules undermine circular economy
The UK’s packaging EPR (pEPR) unfairly penalizes glass, according to Nick Kirk, director at British Glass, who told us that while the scheme claims to support circularity, it undermines environmental sustainability. The pEPR scheme is designed to shift the responsibility and cost of packaging waste management from taxpayers and local authorities to businesses that use and supply the packaging. Packaging Insights sat down with Kirk to discuss pEPR’s effect on the glass and hospitality sectors.
