All Comment articles
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ArticlePackaging that tells the truth – and what it reveals about organisations
In modern times, packaging sits at the intersection between sustainability, cost, safety, marketing, and plenty of other crucial macro trends. It has evolved from simply being a straightforward business decision and now reflects how businesses actually operate. How did we get here? Peter Stael, owner and partner at Across-Consult, takes a closer look.
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ArticleA look at the ‘timeless art’ of the hamper with Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason’s hampers are iconic across the globe, and immediately communicate quality, craftsmanship, and expert curation to consumers. But what goes into creating them, and how is the company tackling sustainability issues? Speaking from London Packaging Week, Yvonne Isherwood, Head of Product and Packaging Design at Fortnum & Mason, tells us more.
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ArticleEverything you need to know about the PPWR Declaration of Conformity
From 12 August 2026, every piece of packaging on the EU market will be legally required to have its own Declaration of Conformity. But what does it actually require, and who is legally responsible for signing it? Felix Gass, founder of Packaging Strategy Lab, a packaging strategy consultancy based in Berlin, explores the details.
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ArticleCost is the number one focus for packaging buyers in Europe, but what about the environment?
With cost now the biggest driver for retailers and brand owners in Europe, has the environment taken a back seat? Neil Osment, Managing Director of packaging market research company NOA, investigates.
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ArticleWhy the PPWR can be Europe’s circularity moment
One year on from the adoption of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and with roughly six months to go until the next phase of implementation begins, ambition has turned into action. Bilyana Ignatova, VP of Public Affairs and Head of EU Policy at TOMRA, takes a closer look at the past, present and future of the PPWR.
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ArticleThe packaging data problem
Packaging has a data problem, which can make it hard to prioritise resource allocation and assess the performance of sustainability-focussed projects. In this article, Sarah Perreard, Co-CEO, Earth Action and Packaging Data Hub Director and Yoni Shiran, Partner, Systemiq and Packaging Data Hub Director, discuss some potential solutions to this issue.
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ArticleCould this new EU-funded project boost refillable packaging in Europe?
A new EU-funded scheme is aiming to scale up reusable packaging across Europe by working with organisations across the value chain to identify bottlenecks and design practical solutions that can work across different countries. To learn more about the objectives of this project, we caught up with Emmy Van Daele, Project Manager for INTERPOOL and Reuse Coordinator at Fair Resource Foundation.
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ArticleWhy are so many reusable packaging companies failing?
Reusable packaging companies are shutting down at an alarming rate. Why is this happening, and what can be done to ensure the future viability of the sector? Mike Newman, CEO of Returnity, offers a firsthand perspective.
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ArticleWhat is holding reusable packaging back?
A new report involving 115 reuse companies across Europe offers the most comprehensive snapshot yet of how reusable packaging systems are performing, what is holding them back, and what they need to scale. One of the key contributors, New ERA tells us more about what the future holds for this critical industry sector.
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ArticleHow will the PPWR affect the adhesive tapes industry?
One of the foremost challenges for European packaging companies is staying informed about, engaging with, and complying with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The PPWR affects each part of the value chain in different ways, and the adhesive tapes sector is no exception. Sreeparna Das, sustainability communications consultant at The European Adhesive Tape Association (Afera), takes a deeper look.
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ArticleWhy ‘non-recyclable’ is no longer an option
The global pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging sector has reached a pivotal juncture. Blister packs, bottles, tubes, pouches, and other primary and secondary packaging are critical for sterility, dose precision, and patient safety, but their end-of-life profile remains largely linear: produce–use–dispose. In this article Professor Edward Kosior, Sustainability Awards winner and Founder/CEO at Nextek Ltd, plots a path forward.
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ArticleDS Smith’s packaging predictions for 2026
2025 was a year of innovation, evolving consumer demands and intense regulatory upheaval – but what are the factors that will most affect the packaging industry in 2026? DS Smith’s new Managing Director for UK and Ireland Packaging, James Lomax gives us his predictions.
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ArticleThe packaging stories and trends to follow in 2026
Happy New Year! The Packaging Europe editorial team kicks off the New Year with its predictions for the year ahead – covering regulation, new innovations, the financial health of the packaging industry, reusable packaging, and much more.
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ArticleSustainability versus practicality – a story of ebb and flow
Progress is rarely a straight trajectory, and this couldn’t be truer of the move towards sustainability. Neil Osment, Managing Director of packaging market research company NOA, says over the last five to seven years, it’s been a story of back and forth.
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ArticleThe problem with Christmas packaging
With Christmas right around the corner, the looming concern of festive waste rears its ugly head again. Now is the time for the most prepared of gift-givers to wrap their presents or slip them into gift bags – potentially both. But is there a better way?
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ArticleA perspective from the packaging industry at COP30
The public reaction to COP30 has been, to put it mildly, mixed. Delegates left Belém having made progress on adaptation, gender action, “just transition”, and climate finance – but crucially failed to agree on a plan to phase out fossil fuels. What does all of this mean for the packaging industry? Luciana Pellegrino, President of the World Packaging Organisation and Executive President at the Brazilian Packaging Association, attended the talks and gives us her perspective.
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ArticleA closer look at Smurfit Westrock’s new alternative to HDPE bottles
Smurfit Westrock says that its new Bag-in-Box Powergrip can replace traditional HDPE bottles and jerrycans while using less material, cutting production steps, and simplifying the recycling process. To unpack these claims, we put some questions to Jeroen Raeijmaekers, Business Developer Sustainability at Smurfit Westrock Van Mierlo.
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ArticleHow packaging went from hero to villain
Packaging used to be so much more than just a container – it was culture, art, identity. So, why did this change? Kevin Vyse, head of technical RAP products at ProAmpac, tells us more.
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ArticleWhat will the plastics industry look like in 2030?
Reflecting on a decade of progress and learnings, Rob Opsomer, Executive Lead for Plastics at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, calls on companies to join industry leaders in getting behind its 2030 agenda in a bid to tackle plastic packaging waste and build a circular economy.
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ArticleMcDonald’s Japan scraps paper straws
McDonald’s Japan has replaced its controversial paper straws with ‘strawless’ lids made from recycled PET, but consumers are still divided on the new solution’s practicality. Tim Sykes reflects on this demand for convenience, sometimes at the expense of sustainable progress, and what we can learn from getting the balance wrong.